Cujo Winchester Explains It All
by silver ruffian
Summary: Scenes from the hunting life, as told by Dean Winchester's Manx cat, Cujo. NEW: Chapter 25 - the good blue earth
1. there goes the neighborhood

**_A/N:_** Okay, this is nana's fault. She read the _Kong_ chapter of _Man's Best Friend _and she wanted to know what Cujo thought of the hunts she went on. My muse started thinking, which is never a good thing.

**_Timeline:_** Sometime after Sam Winchester left to go to Stanford, during the time Dean and John hunted as a team.

**_Summary:_** Scenes from the hunting life, as told by John and Dean Winchester's cat, Cujo. Chapters vary in length, sometimes drabbles or ficlets. This story's complete. Will be posted once a week.

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><p><strong><em>Part 1 – there goes the neighborhood<em>**

I hid in this vacant building next to the place the humans stay. I think you two leggers call it a motel, am I right?

Some halfwit left this big stuffed couch on the roof. It was covered with plastic, which was good when it rained. When I found it I dug a hole underneath the cushions with my claws. Made a pretty nice hidey-hole. I dug another hole in the side of the couch, down near the bottom. It pays to have a back door. And besides, no way I was going to sleep out in the open.

I was asleep in there when I heard this Bast awful rumbling sound. I slunk out of the couch, eased on over to the edge of the roof. When I stuck my head up and looked down this big black car rolled onto the parking lot next door.

Two human males got out. The kid was broad-shouldered, with light hair and eyes. The other one was older, just as solid, with dark and light hair. I could tell by the way they moved they weren't your usual hairless apes. Most humans don't pay attention to what's around them. These two did. They moved really smooth, too. They were family. The boy was the older one's son.

Four of the locals lounging around the front of the motel straightened up and gave these two what you humans laughingly call the evil eye. Didn't bother them any. The local clowns stared, and these two stared right back. Hard.

I can't stand the locals around here. They've sic'ed their damn dogs on me more than once.

The older one walked towards the office. The young one stayed with the car.

The neighborhood humans stepped aside as the man walked up. After he went inside they stared at the kid and the car. He leaned against it and he never took his eyes off them. From the way he looked and moved I'm guessing he wouldn't have had any problem with them. At all. I wasn't surprised at that. We cats know real predators when we see them.

After a moment the four humans walked down the street in the opposite direction and kept right on going. The kid watched them go and they never looked back.

This neighborhood's gotten bad. It was quiet the first three months. Not any more. I heard more of these loud sounds at night. Banging noises. Humans crying and screaming too. Even the young kids in this place got meaner. One day three of them threw bricks and rocks at me. A few days after that this one kid kept calling me, thought I was dumb enough to walk right up to him. Guess he thought I couldn't see that homemade spear hidden behind his back.

Here kitty kitty my ass.

Before I could depend on some of the elder humans to put out a saucer of milk. Not any more. They're afraid to open their doors and I really can't blame them. Last time I ate was a couple of days ago, when I snagged a pigeon that drowned in the concrete pond next door at the motel. Damn thing tasted nasty, but I ate it most of it anyway. It was that or nothing, and I'm skinny enough as it is.

It was time to go. I knew that. I could have taken off on my own, waited until dark and just walked or run off, but I didn't. This time around I just wanted some human company. I wanted to be around the right kind of human, the kind that wouldn't give me to a dog as a chew toy. Has that almost happen once or twice.

I targeted the kid first, even though he was a little rough around the edges. I watched them as they went into their room down the row. The boy walked like he owned the place, but I liked the look in his eyes whenever he looked at his Dad and that big old black car.

Huh. Maybe he really was a soft touch underneath that leather. I figured maybe I had a chance, then.

Maybe.

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><p>TBC next week<p> 


	2. how to train your human boy

_**Part 2 – How to train your human boy**_

The main thing you have to remember when dealing with humans is this: always make them think that whatever YOU want is THEIR idea.

Two hours later the boy came out. He went over to that big black car and opened the front. It looked like the car thing was eating him. All I could see was his rear and his legs. I could hear music and he was singing instead of screaming, so I figured he was okay.

It was time to make my move. Nothing big, or flashy. I came out of my building and hid behind one of the other cars down there, a few feet away, then I jumped up on the hood. The kid had his back to me, but he turned around real quick. I don't think humans have eyes in the back of their heads, but he acted like he did.

He looked at me and he grinned. His eyes got soft. He didn't come over to try to pet me, either. I was liking him more already. I like a human with manners. Cats don't like being grabbed and snatched up. Most of us hate being held like a human baby, so if you do that and get clawed, don't blame us.

"Hey, boy," the kid said, "where'd you come from?"

Boy, huh?

I turned around and showed him my butt.

"Oh. You're a chick. Sorry."

I grunted at him. I know there's some Siamese in my family on my mother's side. Humans talk to me, I grunt, chirp and meow right back. They think it's cute and it gets the job done.

Hearing me talk back like that made him grin a little more.

Okay. So far so good.

I sat down and watched him. He made all kinds of funny noises while he did whatever to that car. Didn't sound bad. I've heard worse.

My stomach started growling. You humans don't hear so good, so I know he didn't hear it.

He closed up the car, went inside the room and came out with a bag. Food. I could smell the meat and that other stuff inside that paper. My mouth watered, but I licked my shoulder so the kid wouldn't notice. I looked like I didn't care, even when he opened up the sandwich and my stomach really started growling then.

He leaned back against the black car and watched me. I sat down and started cleaning myself. What happened next was just what I was hoping for.

The kid pinched off a part of his sandwich, the meat part, not the bread part. He held it out to me. "Here. You want this?"

I stood up and hopped up on the roof of the car. He came near, and I moved back. Didn't wanna appear too eager. He put the piece of meat down on the hood and moved back. I looked at him, looked at the meat and licked my lips. I didn't eat. I wanted to. All I had that morning was half a piece of soggy bacon I found in a fast food wrapper out back.

That seemed to bother him. He made that frowny face you humans always do. "Damn, cat. When was the last time you ate?"

I grunted again. I weigh six pounds soaking wet. Always have looked a little thin.

He ate the rest of his food, and then he stood up and walked off. I saw him toss the bag into a nearby trash can, and I sat there watching as he walked down the street. My stomach really started growling then.

Ten minutes later the kid came back with this brown paper bag in his hand. I acted like I didn't notice or care. The next thing I knew he pulled a tin plate out of the bag, put the plate on the ground. He pulled out a bottle of water next, poured some water in the plate.

Damn. Right then and there I figured that was it, that was all I was going to get today. Well, I took my chance. He looked like a good one, and I was wrong, that's all.

Turns out I _was_ wrong.

You know that whooshing sound a can of food makes when you open it? I heard it. It took an effort for me not to jump up and down.

He had food. Canned cat food. Chicken tender bites, from the smell of it, and my stomach growled even louder. This was name brand stuff, too, not that Brand X mystery meat. The kid opened up the can, put it on the ground between us, then stepped back. Waiting. I took my own sweet time getting down. I yawned. Then I got down, slowly, like I was saying, _What's this? Oh you shouldn't have. I'll just take a bite._

Heck with that. I put my head in that can and didn't come up for air until it was all gone. He stood there watching me the whole time.

I finished up the can, licked the damn thing clean. I drank most of the water too.

Then I turned and meowed at him. I walked off, slow and dignified, and I knew I had him when I heard him laugh.


	3. mine

_**Part 3 - mine**_

The next day I hung around the big black car. I saw the big man in the morning. I took one look at him and I knew I had my work cut out for me. I couldn't read him, one way or another. He stared at me, and he didn't blink. Usually humans blink, but he didn't. Didn't smile when he saw me, either. That made me nervous.

He and the boy got in the car and left. I was pretty sure they weren't gone for good, because they didn't load their stuff in the back, so I went back next door and caught this damn cricket in the weeds and ate it. It was crunchy. Then I went up on the roof, hopped into the sofa and took a nap.

Later on I heard the black car growl.

I strolled out of my building like I owned the place. The kid was there, and the big man wasn't. I acted all casual about it, like I didn't even see or care about the open can of cat food on the newspaper on the hood right next to him.

"Looked you up on the internet," the boy said. "So you're a Manx cat, huh?"

I grunted at him.

That made the skin around his eyes crinkle. I jumped up on the roof of the car, but I didn't go near him.

"Damn, you're skinny. You got big ears like Batman too, you know that?"

First time I ever heard that one.

The boy sat down on the hood, right next to the food.

I walked to the edge, leaned over, and stared at the can. The kid still didn't move. Just sat there with his hands in his lap. He'd have to lean over to grab me. I could always run if I had to. Didn't think I'd have to.

He had his back to me. I could tell he was smiling. He smelled happy.

Happy smells like sunlight and gentle winds. It's bright. I can't explain it any better than that.

"I know you're probably hungry. I'm not gonna hurt you. But I'm not gonna move away, either. You wanna eat, little lady, you're gonna have to come and get it."

_Hmph. So he thinks he's in charge, huh?_ I sat down and licked my right paw. I could make him wait for it, show him who's really in charge.

My stomach growled.

Hell with that. I hopped down, and he still didn't move, just looked the other way, with his hands in his lap, tapping the fingertips of both hands together.

He was still smiling.

I put my head down and didn't come up for air until the can was empty.

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><p>Later on I let him skritch me behind my ears.<p>

Well, I felt like it.

I put my paws on his legs, and stared up at him. Now I really didn't think he'd lean down towards me, but he did.

I've never understood why you humans have hair on certain places, and not all over. You're naked everywhere else.

My kid's got spots on his skin. I forget what you people call those things. Nice eyes, for a human. Green and bright. Not as nice as mine, but close. Too bad he didn't have whiskers. That might have been an improvement.

I leaned up a little more and sniffed his skin.

Then I sneezed. He smelled like soap, and some spicy stuff that tickled my nose. He smelled sad, too.

Sad smells sweet and sour.

"You got a family out here, girl? Bet you do." He ran his hand down from my neck to my back. I arched up into his palm and he hesitated.

All I had to do was look at him and meow. _Hey, I didn't tell you to stop._

The kid shrugged and kept right on petting me, nice and slow. "My brother left. Went to school. So it's just me and my Dad out here." He smelled even sadder. By then I was pretty sure he wasn't gonna do something stupid like hug me or something, so I sat down next to him.

He stroked me underneath my chin and I rubbed against his fingers. I marked him. _Mine._

I still hadn't figured out how I was going to win the Dad over. Turns out that wasn't my biggest problem.

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><p>Later on, when it was dark, I had a bad feeling. I couldn't sleep. I got out of the sofa and ran over to the edge.<p>

The door to the room was open. The boy was carrying out those bag things. I watched him open up the back of the car, put the bags in and then go back into the room.

He was leaving.

I ran downstairs.

One of the bags in the back was open, so I hopped inside and laid down. Felt soft, like clothes. I heard the kid come back, and the bag moved a little as he put something else heavy in there. I didn't move, didn't breathe.

If he found me, he'd leave me.

He slammed down the top and right after that I felt the car growl like a big angry dog. I was on my way, somewhere, anywhere better than that crummy old neighborhood, so I went to sleep.

When I woke up the car wasn't moving anymore. I could feel open air so naturally I stuck my head up.

First thing I saw was the Dad standing a few feet away. He had those dark things humans wear on their eyes. He had this shiny thing in his hand, and he pointed it right at me.

I didn't know what the shiny thing was, but I was pretty sure this wasn't good.


	4. stupid humans

_**A/N:**_ I've had very limited internet access for the past four days. I know I'm behind answering reviews for this fic and others, and I want to thank everyone who's reviewed, who's put this story on alert, and who's fav'd it. I'll have normal access starting Friday, thank goodness, and I will answer everyone's reviews. Oh yeah: even tho Dean is 22 in this one, Cujo still considers him to be a kid. The timeline is one month after Sam leaves for Stanford.

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><p><em><strong>Part 4 – stupid humans<strong>_

I'd seen humans with those things in their hands back in the bad place. They point it at you, it barks, and that's not good. I've seen dogs, cats, birds and humans hit the ground after that and not get back up again. Ever.

The big man growled like a big dog. "DEAN!"

I didn't know what a Dean was then. I didn't move my head, so I didn't see the kid until he moved next to the big man. He looked nervous, all wide eyed.

"What the hell is THAT?" The sound of his voice, all big and deep like that, made me want to run and hide. I couldn't.

"Uh…it's a cat."

"A cat?"

"Yessir. Ummm…she came around when we were at the motel."

"And you never noticed it was in the duffel?"

"Uh…no sir."

"You're slipping, son."

My kid nodded. He stared at me, and he didn't look happy.

The big man put the thing in his hand in his coat. "Okay. Let's have a look at her."

I don't like being picked up. I mentioned that before, right? I meowed when the kid came over, and at the last minute when he put his hands on me I tried to run. I stretched out in his hands, and he caught me anyway. I grunted and tried to twist out of his grip, but I couldn't. He had me by the back of my neck and my body. "Sorry, girl."

All I could do was stare at him. I must have looked scared because he got that soft look in his eyes. Fat lot of good_ that_ was doing me. I wasn't worried about the young one. I couldn't see what the big man was doing, and that scared me.

The next thing I knew the big man had me by the scruff of my neck. I couldn't see his eyes because of those black glasses and I knew if I bit or clawed him he'd kill me. He stared at me and I stared at him bug eyed right back. "Huh. Skinny little thing. Where's the rest of the tail?"

The kid shrugged. "She's a Manx cat."

"And you know this how?"

"Looked it up on the internet."

"I wondered about those searches you did. Okay. Put the bag down there."

"Yessir."

They were going to put me in one of those bags. I'd heard that humans do that. They put cats in bags and toss them into water. I wanted to move, but I couldn't. The kid put this empty bag thing down on the hood of the car. The big man put me down right on top of it. He pressed down on my back. My legs shook. I closed my eyes.

The next thing I knew my fur was wet.

My skin was wet.

I HATE wet!

I opened my eyes, looked up and the man had this shiny bottle in his hand. That was where the water was coming from. Some of it went in my nose and I sneezed and shook my head.

"Christo," the big man said to me, real loud, and the kid looked like he was trying not to laugh.

"Uh, Dad? Holy water? Christo? That works on cats now?"

The man stared at me. Whatever he thought was going to happen didn't.

I was mad, and I glared right back at him. That little tail of mine twitched back and forth and I laid my ears flat against my head.

"Nobody likes a smartass, kiddo. You ever heard of the Ilimu? They're demons. They specialize in animal possession."

The kid frowned. "Crap."

The man stared at me for a moment longer, and then he took his hand off my back. "I guess she's okay."

I shook myself off. Tried to shake as much water off on them as I could, but it didn't bother them. Stupid humans. They like wet! I shook my paws out, one after another. I cussed both of them out. _You will pay. As Bast is my witness you will pay!_

"Huh. She's got a set of lungs on her, doesn't she?" The man grinned a little. So did the boy.

I hopped down and ran over to this bush nearby. I sat there under the branches and shook myself out over and over again, then I cussed them out until my throat got sore. They both leaned against the big black car.

"I should have paid more attention," the kid said slowly. "Uh, whatever drill you want to put me through, I can take it."

The man looked at me and I hissed at him. "Drill? Maybe later."

"Christo," my kid whispered, and the big man just laughed. "Dude, a cat? Seriously? Why?"

"She's got Sammy's bitchface."

"Oh."

I don't know what a bitchface is, and this is the first I anyone ever said I had one. I don't know who this Sammy is, but his couldn't be as good as mine.

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><p>TBC<p> 


	5. out and about

_**A/N: **_Much thanks to everyone who likes this little tail-I mean, tale. Cujo and I are surprised and pleased. Well, I'm at the library now, and I intended to post Black Horse and others during the two hours I've got booked…and then I discovered I left Samirah and company at home. She will not be pleased. I really really need to up those meds. Home internet should be up by tonight, so Black Horse and others will ride out Sunday morning. Thank you for the reviews on this fic and others. Will catch up with replies this weekend. Until then, thanks to everybody!

I hate my internet provider. I really _hate_ them. Have I mentioned that?

I have?

Oh.

_**Disclaimer: **_I don't own Dean, John, or Sam. Eric Kripke does. I don't own Cujo either. She owns me.

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><p><em><strong>Part 5 – out and about<strong>_

I spent the rest of the morning hiding underneath that bush. My stomach growled a little, but I was so mad I didn't notice at first. My stomach sounded just as mad as I felt. I shook myself some more, and I cussed some more.

This place smelled green. Grass and trees all around. I could hear squirrels running up and down the trees behind me. I hate squirrels. Tree rats, that's what they are.

I didn't notice what the big man and the boy were doing inside that little wooden house. All I could think about was how wet my fur was, all the way down to my skin. It was warm and the sun was out, but I didn't feel like sunbathing. I was mad and I wanted to stay mad, so I did.

At one point the kid came out with a open can of cat food and a small bowl of water. He put it down on the ground and stood there looking at me.

I turned my back on him and went behind the bush. I could still see him but he couldn't see me. He stood there frowning, and his shoulders dropped a little. He looked sad, and he smelled sad too.

Good. He laughed when I got wet, remember?

What? Knowing how to make a human feel guilty is useful. All kittens learn that at an early age. If you want hearts and flowers, go get a dog. They'll slobber all over you.

I heard the big man call out "Dean" and he turned and went back into the house.

I sat there and watched them through the open doorway. The man and the Dean boy sat at this table with all this stuff around them. He glanced in my direction once, and then I heard the big man rumble "Dean" at him. Well, that's what it sounded like. The kid didn't glance in my direction anymore, and the food was still out, so I walked over to the bowl and ate all of it. No sense in being an idiot about it. I wasn't about to let those damn squirrels and those stupid ants eat my food. After I ate, I kept one eye on the door. I didn't think the kid was going to come back outside, so I looked around.

This wasn't like the old neighborhood. Wasn't like any place I'd ever been before. I tilted my nose up and scented the air. My ears twitched at all the sounds all around me. Little things running through the grass. Birds and furry critters.

Critters I could hunt.

I'm a city cat, but lately city life hasn't been anything to brag about.

Maybe I didn't need the Dean boy and the big man after all.

I walked away, and I didn't look back.

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><p>I didn't kill anything.<p>

Well, not at first.

It was too much fun to catch them and let them go.

Those squirrels cussed me out, and I just laughed at them. Nearly caught the big one, too. I sat there on the ground in front of the tree and I pretended not to notice, and she came down the tree trunk at me. Dumbass came right up behind me, with all that chattering they do.

I knew she had her babies up in that tree. I could smell them.

I turned around and made a grab for her, just for fun. I wasn't hungry, but I was still feeling kind of mean. I could've killed her. We both knew that. She backed up and she looked really scared. She knew better to mess with me from then on.

I ran those wild mice all over the place.

Those birds thought they were so smart. Thought I couldn't catch one.

They thought wrong. The bird flew up, and I jumped up and caught it in mid-air. One quick bite to the back of its neck, and I made my kill.

I stood there over the body, and I was feeling pretty pleased with myself. I could almost forget that bad part with the big man and the water and the boy laughing at me.

I said _almost_.

The rest of the birds were long gone, but I wasn't interested in hunting anymore. I started thinking about the Dean boy and the Dad. Out there in the middle of nowhere with those two. I made my decision, and I figured I might as well make the most of it. I still wanted to be around humans, and I'd already picked the boy.

He was trainable. Maybe the dad was too.

I stared at the bird. It was bigger than a city pigeon.

Hmph.

I could take it back, show them that I wasn't some cute little furball they could laugh at. I know some of you humans think that when cats bring you dead things they're trying to feed you. Well, I can't speak for any other feline. When I do it I'm showing off. I'm small, and humans don't think small is good for anything but belly rubs and cuddles. I hate that. People think small can't hunt, and I love to prove 'em wrong sometimes.

If the boy and the man wanted to think I was feeding them, that was fine by me.

And maybe later on, I'd upchuck a hairball on the Dad's pillow or something. I still owed him that.

I sunk my teeth into the bird, picked it up, and headed back.

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><p>The place looked just like it did when I left it. The black car was still there, and so was the house.<p>

I stopped behind the same bush I sat underneath before. It's a good thing I didn't just stroll out into the open. That would have been bad.

The Dean boy lay on the ground a few feet away from the black car. His eyes were closed. I could hear him breathing.

The person standing over him _wasn't _the Dad.

I saw orange eyes and smelled burnt matches.

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><p>TBC next week<p> 


	6. the right paw of correction

**_A/N:_** It seems like my home internet is now stable...well, until the next time this POS decides to conk out.

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><p><em><strong>Part 6 - the right paw of correction<strong>_

The door to the house was open, but I didn't see the Dad anywhere. I dropped the bird on the ground. I sat there underneath the bush and stared at the ugly man.

I've seen ugly humans before. Believe me, you guys aren't the prettiest critters around, but I've never seen anyone that looked as bad as this. This was something that was trying to pretend it was a human, and it wasn't doing a very good job of it, either. His skin looked funny, all slick and slimy, with these long dark worms underneath. No fur on his head, like the boy and the big man. It was naked, and even its feet looked ugly.

The smell was the worst part. Cats usually ignore all that soap you guys use. I don't know why you like to use that stuff anyway. There's nothing wrong with your scent. We like you better au naturel. We're all animals here, right? So get over yourselves.

I laid my ears back. Couldn't hear anything in the bushes behind me. It was quiet. Even the damn squirrels weren't talking.

My tail started twitching, and so did my butt. I gathered my legs underneath me, and it was all I could do not to chatter out loud. I stared at the ugly man's back and all I could think of was that time when I was younger, when I lived with this woman. She was sad all the time, but it was a different sad smell than the one Dean has. One of her male friends came by one day. He grabbed her. He tried to hurt her, so I ran into the kitchen, jumped on his back and popped my claws. I rode him out the front door, and then I hopped down and came back inside.

I got shrimp for dinner that night. He never came back and the woman was happy, at least for a while.

"So…pretty…" the ugly man whispered. He leaned over the boy and brushed his fingers over the kid's face.

I'd had enough.

I ran out from underneath the bush and I jumped up onto ugly's back. I dug in and started raking and slashing for all I was worth. I didn't bite him. That burned match smell was even worse close up. I knew if I bit him the taste would probably make me sick.

I cussed and squalled, and the ugly man screamed. He spun around. He bowed his back, tried to reach backwards with both arms and grab me. His arms were longer than I thought. He nearly grabbed me by the neck, but I hissed at him, dug in with three paws and slashed at his arms and fingers with my right paw. My claws were out all the way, and he howled even louder.

That's right, I said he howled. Just like some damn dog, but worse. The sound hurt my ears. I've heard humans scream, but this didn't sound like any human I'd ever heard before.

I saw dark marks on his skin, and the marks looked like my pawprints.

The ugly man spun around. He put a hump in his back and he tried to shake me off. I slid down a little ways, dug in again, and rabbit kicked him with my back legs. I felt his fingers slide over my fur. He nearly got me then. There was blood, but there was a whole lot of smoke too, and it was making me sick. I couldn't see anything, either, but I kept right on clawing him. I had the feeling that if he ever got his hands on me I wouldn't like what came next.

"Sonofabitch!"

Well, _that_ came next. I couldn't see who made that sound. I couldn't breathe, but I heard ugly howl again. My chest hurt, and I couldn't breathe, but I felt it when this pair of hands grabbed me around the middle and pulled me off. Oh, another one, huh?

Mind you, my nose was still full of that ugly stink. My eyes watered, too. Cats can turn around in their own skin. At least, that's what you humans think, right? I twisted around and I was face to face with the boy. He had his hands on me, so I slashed at him with my right paw, and I hissed at him. I didn't mean anything by it. I was excited, that's all.

"Damn it, cat!" Dean jerked his arms out away from his body and let go of me. He took a couple of funny steps backwards and hit the ground on his ass.

I hissed and spat when I landed. I looked just like a Halloween cat, back arched, fur bushed out. Dean looked just as wild eyed as I did. He coughed and gagged from the smell, and I realized he was just as wound up as I was.

I looked over my shoulder at the ugly one. He was on the ground, twisting and jerking, and from the looks of things he wasn't getting up any time soon. The orange glow in his eyes was fading. This long dark piece of metal stuck out of his chest.

It moved when he moved. He took a few more breaths and then he just didn't move anymore.


	7. shiny pointy claws and teeth

**_A/N: _**I really HATE my POS internet provider. I said that already, huh? Sorry. I'm answering reviews and I keep losing the connection. Hope this works so I can post.

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><p><em><strong>Chapter 7 – shiny pointy claws and teeth<strong>_

I sat there cleaning my paws, but I stopped after a few licks. That burned match taste on my fur was really strong.

The ugly man still didn't move. Dean got up and went into the house. He came back out with this long ax in his hand. He walked over, stared down at ugly, and whispered, "And one to grow on, you bastard."

And then he chopped ugly's head off.

Well, I wasn't expecting _that_.

Dean pulled the long metal thing out of the dead thing's chest, and then he used his foot to turn it over on its back. He knelt down next to the body, and he stared at my paw prints and the slash marks on its skin. He stared for a long time, and then he looked at me.

"It was the holy water," the kid whispered. "Dad doused you with the holy water, and when you touched the fugly, you burned the fugly."

I grunted at him. _Sure, if you say so._

He stood up and went into the house. I watched him through the open door. He moved around inside, threw some things into one of those duffels.

I jumped up on the roof of the black car and waited. The way he was moving I knew I didn't have to wait long.

Dean came out loaded down with the duffel bag on his back, a green jacket and this funny looking long gun in his hands. He looked kind of scared and mad at the same time. He put the stuff down on the ground, went into the trunk and pulled out two big white plastic jugs. One was half full.

I sniffed at the air when he opened it, and I laid my ears back when I realized that was that same stuff the big man soaked me with. I sat there and watched him take this silver bottle out of his jacket pocket and fill it up with water.

"I dunno what these things are, or where they come from. Me and Dad were looking for a hunt, and the hunt found us." He kept right on talking as he put the bottle down and pawed around in the bag. He took out these shiny, pointed things, slipped one into the side of his boots, and the other into the pocket with the bottle. He took some more things out of the duffel and slipped them into his pockets.

He talked, and I sat there and listened. I didn't mind. I knew what he was doing, at least, I thought I did. He was going hunting, and this was the way he got ready. I've been around declawed cats, and they're the same way, like humans. No claws, so they make do. They bite more instead. I'd rather have my claws.

Dean didn't have claws and human teeth aren't that sharp. I was pretty sure he was going to do more than bite.

"They came out of the woods. They jumped us, and they got Dad." He nodded towards the trees. "They took him that way."

He took the half full jug and emptied it out all over the jacket on the ground. I moved back a little when he took the other jug and poured water into his hand, then rubbed it all over his face and neck, then poured more over his arms and hands. For Bast's sake, what is it with you humans? Water's for drinking. How many times do I have to say that? We use our tongues to clean ourselves. That's the right way to do it. Humans make things too complicated.

Dean splashed the water all over himself, from head to toe, front to back. He leaned forward and poured the stuff over his hair.

That funny little thing he wears around his neck started swinging back and forth when he did that. I should have known better, but I couldn't help myself. I rushed forward, sat up and started batting at it with both paws.

Dean shook himself like a dog. I got splashed.

Again.

I backed up and growled at him. "Gotcha." Dean laughed.

"So, uh, listen…if you wanna shag ass away from here," he shrugged. "I get it. I do. Won't hold that against you." He held out his right arm, and I saw three long scratch marks on his skin. "No hard feelings for this, either."

So I did scratch him after all.

The kid took this really long pointed thing out of the bag, poured water over it, and then strapped it across his back. He put the jacket on, put the duffel on his shoulder and picked up the gun. Dean turned and started walking into the woods, and he didn't look back at me. He might act like a dog sometimes, but he moved like a cat this time, smooth and easy. He didn't make any noise.

I could stay or go. My choice. No harm, no fowl, as you humans say.

I jumped down and followed him. I never even thought about "shagging ass."

Whatever that is.

When he saw me slink past him into the woods Dean smiled, just a little.


	8. dead things

_**A/N: **_Craptastic internet service continues. Don't hate me for what happens in this chapter, all right?

* * *

><p><em><strong>Part 8 – dead things<strong>_

I wrinkled up my nose, opened my mouth and let my tongue hang out. Usually when I scent the air like that I can tell everything about what I'm smelling, how many, boy or girl. Everything. The woods smelled bad with that burned match smell, but what was underneath smelled even worse. These ugly things were rotten meat that moved. It wasn't right. Dead meat doesn't move. It never did before.

I glanced up at Dean a couple of times. He didn't need my nose to tell him where they were either. He watched me slip through the brush. I laid my ears back as I went in and he followed me in without making a sound.

Smelled the big man before I saw him. Live scent.

He was on his knees in the clearing. His eyes were open, but they looked funny. Dull, like he was half asleep. One of the ugly men stood over him.

The walking dead meat leaned over. His mouth filled up with teeth, and his jaws stretched wide like some big ugly dog, but wider. Too wide. He was going to swallow the big man whole.

Dean let his duffel drop to the ground behind him. He stood up, raised that gun of his. I heard the gun bark and a big hole opened up in ugly's head. He fell backwards, and the sound of the shot made the Dad blink. He looked in our direction, but I could tell he still wasn't all there. His lips moved but I couldn't hear the words.

I lifted up my head, opened my mouth even wider. My tail twitched back and forth. That burned match smell got even stronger, and I finally got it.

Something moved around in the bushes behind us.

Another one rushed out and grabbed Dean from behind. As soon as he put his arms around Dean's coat he burned like the other one had. Smoke was in the air, and the smell got worse. Ugly howled but he wouldn't let go. Dean couldn't turn around in his own space like I can, but he jerked his head backwards and hit him in the face.

The ugly one screamed. His face was on fire.

He stumbled backwards, but he wouldn't let go of Dean. They fell over the duffel. Dean jerked forward, turned around and shot him, and just as he did another one ran at us.

Two down, three if you count the one I clawed up before.

I popped my claws out as I jumped up at the one in front of me. Dean yelled out "NO!" but I ignored him. My blood was up. Nobody messes with my humans. Not even dead things.

Ugly swung one of its arms out at me. It howled and burned when it touched me, but I was hit so hard my spine rattled and my jaws clamped shut. I heard something like a twig snap.

I flew backwards, and I twisted in mid-air to get my feet underneath me so I could land right, on all fours.

That's not what happened next.

There was this tree behind me. I tried to turn so I could bounce off, but my back felt funny and I couldn't move my right leg.

I hit the tree hard and everything went black.

* * *

><p>TBC this weekend.<p> 


	9. left behind in the bad place

_**A/N: **_Thanks to everyone who's reviewed, fav'd, and put this story on alert. I have limited internet access. Extreme Cujo angst ahead. Ye have been warned.

_**Disclaimer:**_ I don't own Dean and John Winchester. Eric Kripke does. Cujo owns me.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Part 9 – left behind in the bad place<strong>_

Black turned grey around me.

"…it's okay…it's all right…"

That sounded like Dean. He sounded worried, and I didn't like that. I was okay. All I had to do was get up, that was all.

I moved a little. My right leg hurt, and the grey turned back to black.

* * *

><p>Dogs barking, from real far away. They sounded mad.<p>

I don't like dogs. Have I mentioned that before? I wanted to run away, but I couldn't see anything. Couldn't feel anything. I heard cats too, but I couldn't make out the words.

They sounded mad and sad.

All I could smell was that burned match smell, and soon even that went away…

* * *

><p>I could tell even before I opened my eyes again that something was wrong. My head hurt. I felt funny all over. My right leg felt stiff and I couldn't bend it.<p>

This place smelled bad. I could still hear the dogs and the cats, and now I knew what they were saying.

_Let me out…_

_I want to go home…_

_I don't like it here…_

_Why'd my family leave me?_

I took another breath, and the air and all the scents _(painbloodfear)_ smelled sharp and burned the inside of my nose.

…_no…_

Bad place.

…_nooo…_

I'd been in the bad place before.

I remembered.

I was little, and big hands grabbed me. I saw the others get the needle. I didn't get it, not that time, but I watched them go to sleep forever, and I tried to get away and they couldn't, and the humans lied.

"_It's okay, baby…"_

They lie.

Humans_ always_ lie.

"…_it's all right…"_

I opened my eyes and I jerked backwards. My butt hit the wall behind me. That made me hurt all over even more, but I didn't care.

I was in a cage. There were cats in cages all around me, and I knew I was in the bad place again, the place where they give cats like me the needle, to make them go away.

You humans say we get put to sleep.

I know better.

Getting the needle is bad. They kill cats with the needle. They never wake up.

* * *

><p>My leg was all stiff and it hurt. It was wrapped up in this hard white stuff, and when I licked it I sneezed. I couldn't lick that hurt away, so I stopped trying. I looked around and all I could see was shiny metal and grey walls. There was a litter box on one side of the cage and food and water on the other, but I wasn't hungry. I wasn't thinking about food or water anyway.<p>

_They left me. _

_Dean and the big man left me. _

I crouched there, and I couldn't help it. I called out, real loud. Maybe this was a mistake. It had to be. I couldn't have been wrong about Dean, could I? That soft look in his eyes, I wasn't wrong about that.

I had to be, though. Wrong, I mean. He wasn't here. All I could smell was that sharpness in the air, and I was trapped in this cage and I wasn't getting out unless the humans here let me out.

And if they let me out, I was going to get the needle for sure.

The other cats yowled and moaned, and I did too. My head and my body hurt, and I couldn't shut up. I didn't want to. I meowed so much and so loud that one of the humans came and looked into my cage.

She had kind eyes, but that didn't fool me. "It's okay, sweetie. It's all right."

Yeah, like I haven't heard that lie before.

_It's okay, cat. Come here and let me hit you with this stick. _

_It's all right, cat. Stand still long enough so I can throw this brick at you._

They all lie. Even the ones with the soft look in their eyes lie.

I hissed at her, and the human went away.

I was thirsty, but. I called until my throat got sore.

Dean didn't come for me.

Nobody else did either.

* * *

><p>I don't remember sleeping, but I must have. I was facing the corner when I opened my eyes. Everything was exactly the same, but I didn't call out anymore.<p>

Sometime later someone opened the door to my cage.

I limped as I turned around. Hands were inside the cage, reaching for me. I couldn't use my right paw, but I could still use my left. I twisted around, dropped my claws and lashed out with them. The hands jerked away and the human cursed at me.

Good.

If they were going to give me the needle I wasn't going to make it easy for them. I backed into the corner of the cage. I bushed my fur out to make myself look bigger, laid my ears back. I hissed and growled and spat.

The human was a big man this time, but he wasn't Dean and he wasn't Dean's Dad. He gave me a dirty look as he slammed the gate shut and then he went away.

I was so damn mad I growled to myself. My leg still hurt and so did my head. Soon another human came and leaned down to look at me through the gate. Whoever this was had scratches on his face and one of his arms was wrapped in that white stuff like my leg was. He opened the gate, and I crouched down even further.

The fool stuck his hand in. Those fingers were inches away from my nose.

And my teeth.

I hissed, and the man laughed.

"Hey, girl. What, you like it here so much you don't wanna come home now?"

I blinked. I stretched my neck out, sniffed at those fingertips. I smelled leather and holy water, and some other stuff I didn't recognize that made my nose tingle.

_Mine. _

My ears went up. My tail twitched back and forth.

_Dean. _

_Mine._

I hopped forward, pushed up with my hind legs and jumped up on him. I landed on his hurt arm as I hung onto him, but that didn't bother him. He laughed instead. I put my good paw around his neck. I couldn't bend my right leg, so I just stuck that one over his shoulder.

"Thought we ditched you, huh?" Dean said quietly. He skritched me underneath my chin. I grunted at him as I leaned into his fingers.

Ditched me? Uh, no.

Never had a doubt.


	10. first lessons

_**A/N:**_ I should have better internet access towards the end of the week. Thanks to everyone for liking this story!

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><p><em><strong>Part 10 – first lessons<strong>_

I couldn't help myself. I started talking then, grunting, meowing and chirping.

…_you came back for me…_

My body wiggled from side to side and my tail twitched back and forth.

…_you didn't leave me… _

I know Dean didn't understand what I was saying.

…_why'd you leave me here in the first damn place…_

But maybe he did.

The skin around his eyes crinkled a little and he got that soft look in his eyes again. "We don't leave anyone behind. And you needed to get patched up." He slowly ran his good hand down my back as I stood on his hurt arm. His arm felt solid, heavy, like the white stuff around my hurt leg.

I stretched my neck out until we were nose to nose. He smelled a little sad and mostly happy at the same time.

"You didn't have to get hurt like that. I was gonna shoot the sonofabitch, but I couldn't because you were in the way." He skritched me behind my left ear. "If you wanna run with me and Dad, little girl, you gotta learn the rules."

_Oh._ I closed my eyes, did a head butt against his hand, and then I scooted closer until I was hanging over his shoulder. My sides hurt but none of that mattered now. I grunted at him again.

Dean nodded. "Okay. Let's get the hell outta here."

* * *

><p>The rest of the dogs and cats started yipping and yowling at us. I ignored them all. I was leaving this place, and they weren't. Too bad.<p>

On the way out we met this human woman. She wasn't like the others. They wore dark clothes. She had on a white coat, just like some of the humans in that bad place I was in before. They're called doctors, I think.

I don't like them either.

She showed Dean her teeth. I guess that was supposed to be friendly. I wasn't fooled. I turned around to look at her, laid my ears back and glared at her.

She looked at me and raised her arm a little. I think she wanted to reach up and pat me, but the dirty look I gave her made her think twice about that. She kept her damn hand to herself.

"Oh, Mr. Plant! I was hoping to see you before you left. So she's your cat, eh?"

"Yeah, she is." Dean smiled back at her. I didn't like that either, so I hissed at her.

The doctor woman laughed. "Oh, I've got a cranky little one just like her at home."

I hissed at her again. I seriously doubt there's another one like me _anywhere_.

Dean frowned at me. "Hey. All right now."

I ignored him.

The doctor stared at Dean's injured right arm, and then she looked at my hurt right leg. She frowned up a little. I could tell she was thinking: _What the hell did these two get into? At the same time?_

Apparently Dean could tell what she was thinking too. He smirked. "You shoulda seen the other guy."

That made her blink. "Well, the leg should heal just fine. It was a closed break. No infection. No internal injuries, just bruising. Any complications, you're welcome to bring her back." She showed Dean her teeth again. "Any time."

Dean nodded, and he smiled at her again.

Damn.

"Thanks, Doc. I will."

* * *

><p>I dozed off on the ride home. The big black car rumbled like a big mean dog, but it didn't sound angry to me this time. I woke up when the car got quiet and we weren't moving. We were on a parking lot somewhere.<p>

"Okay," Dean said. "First lesson." He grunted a little as he reached into the back with his good arm and pulled out one of those duffel bags, then spread it on the seat between us. "A lot of the places we stay in aren't exactly pet friendly, so you've gotta lay low. That means you go in the bag when I tell you, in and out."

I stood up slowly and sniffed at the bag. There was a thick brown towel down in the bottom. It smelled safe. I hopped forward until I was sitting in the bag. Moved a little slow because of my leg.

Dean skritched me behind the ears again. "That's my girl."

Remember I said before that the trick with humans is to make them think that what _I_ want is what _they_ want? I would have gotten in the bag anyway. I like closed in places like that, cloth or paper bags and cardboard boxes. Under beds and on top of high places too. I can hide and watch everything around me.

Dean picked up the duffel by the handles and I went along for the ride.

I could already tell the big man was in the room. I heard the door close and then Dean put the bag on what felt like a bed.

I didn't want to come out just yet. I poked my head out through the opening and looked around.

The Dad got up from where he was sitting and came over. I stared up at him. He put his fingers under my nose and I sniffed at his fingertips. That spicy stuff he puts on his skin made me sneeze. The skin around his eyes crinkled a little and that look in his eyes was almost as soft as Dean's look. Almost. I knew what he was thinking: _Damn. She's a tiny little thing._ Something like that.

I laid my ears back. Hmph. I helped save your ass, Mister. Never gonna let you forget _that_.

I reminded myself to cough up a hairball on his pillow later, or maybe in his shoe. Still hadn't forgiven him for that holy water thing. Besides, I was part of the group now and he seemed trainable.

The man looked at me and rumbled. "Looks like we've got ourselves a cat."

"Yes sir," Dean said proudly. "Looks like it."

"So what are you gonna call her?"

Dean smiled. "Cujo."

His Dad laughed.

Cujo. Okay. Beats the hell out of "Hey You." Or "Fluffy."

* * *

><p>TBC next week. Or maybe this weekend, if RL and the fickle internet gods permit.<p> 


	11. slow time

_**A/N - **_Limited internet continues. Much thanks to everyone who's reviewed, fav'd and has this story on alert!

* * *

><p><em><strong>Part 11 – slow time<strong>_

I didn't feel like moving around much because my sides hurt, and that damn white stuff was around my right leg, so I laid down in the duffel bag and went to sleep. When I woke up Dean was lying on the bed beside me watching those moving pictures on that box you humans like so much. His Dad sat at that table by the window looking at this book.

I know what books are. Flat paper. Boring. People like to look at them, and we cats like to lay down on top of them. While the human is trying to look at them. We don't understand why you guys pay that much attention to that dull thing when you've got _us_ around? Nobody had to teach us cats that.

Dean got up when he saw me stick my head out of the bag. I yawned at him and showed him my teeth. When he reached in with his good hand and picked me up I put my ears back. Didn't like that so much, even though he held me close to his chest, with my legs folded. Getting picked up and having my legs hang down is another thing I don't like. Feels funny.

We went into that room with all the water. Bathroom, I think you two leggers call it. I started squirming.

"Okay. Here you go." Dean put me down, right in the middle of this litter box.

What? I know what a litter box is.

I sniffed at the litter. It was clean. Hadn't been used, and I needed to go, so I did. I made it mine. _All mine._ I ignored him while I did my business, and he went away.

I hopped out of the box and decided to nose around the bathroom. Didn't get very far when I heard the pop of a can lid opening. My ears went up and my stomach started growling.

_Food! _

When I hopped back into the room Dean leaned over and put the food bowl on the floor, next to the water bowl.

_My_ water bowl._ My_ food bowl.

I could already smell the food in the can. Beef with gravy bits. My tail twitched back and forth. I tried to stop it but the damn thing has a mind of its own sometimes.

I don't like eating when anyone's nearby. At first I thought that would be one of the first things I'd have to teach him again but Dean laughed, said "Eat up, kid," and he went back and laid down on the bed. He pretended to watch television, but I knew he was watching me. So was the big man. Other humans stare so much at a cat that we get nervous. If there's a room full of people a cat will head for the one that's not staring, and that's usually the person who hates cats and wishes we'd go away. It's fun to mess with _them_ sometimes.

Dean and his Dad had a way of looking but _not_ looking. If I wasn't a cat I would have been fooled.

After I finished eating I felt better, so I decided to investigate the room. I hopped around on three legs.

Pain in my furry ass. Can't wait to get this damn thing off me.

The place smelled like Dean and his Dad. I sniffed at the floor. I could tell there'd been some mice there recently, but they were gone now. Maybe they'd come back when I got my right paw back again. Mice are good to play with.

There was this stuff all around the room, on the floor. It was thick and white. I'd never seen anything like it before, so I crouched down , stretched my neck out and stared at it for a while. When I sniffed at this stuff I couldn't smell anything. It didn't smell like chicken or meat, and it didn't move and it was really boring so I ignored it after that.

The rest of the place wasn't very big, and I ended up sitting on the floor by the table near the window.

"Wait a minute," the big man said. "Here." He pulled something out of this paper bag on the table and tossed it on the floor beside me.

It was a mouse. A big rubber mouse with a long tail.

_Well._ I might not upchuck that hairball on his pillow after all.

I grabbed the mouse with my good paw, laid down on my left side and rubbed the critter against my head and chin.

_Mine._

Then I sat up, batted the mouse around and finally curled up around it and started rabbit kicking the damn thing with both hind feet.

Dean and his Dad laughed, but I didn't mind.

* * *

><p>Later on Dean and I watched this dog on that moving picture box.<p>

Yeah, that's right, this big old slobbery dog. I kept hearing that word "Cujo." It was _my _name, so what was this mutt doing with it?

Dean scratched me behind my ears as I laid on his stomach. "_Your_ name is badass. It fits you."

Badass must be a _good_ thing.

So somebody gave this dumb dog the same good name Dean gave me.

Stupid humans. Figures they'd get it all _wrong_.

Stupid dog.


	12. spooky stuff

_**Part 12 – spooky stuff **_

After Dean and I watched that stupid movie about that big dumb dog I went to sleep on the bed next to him. I was too tired to move, and I felt like that for the next couple days. I got down to eat and use the litter box. I sniffed around the room, but it just wasn't the same. My right leg felt funny and I couldn't use it. I didn't like the way those duffel bags looked, and the big man's shoes in the closet looked like they needed to be taught a lesson. I couldn't use my right paw to bat at 'em, and I didn't feel like doing much of anything, so I didn't.

The room had this big window over by the door. Didn't care much for it. I couldn't sit in the window because the sill was too damn small. I pay close attention to stuff like that. If it'd been up to me we wouldn't have stayed in this place. What good is a window if you can't sit in it, or sleep in it? I remembered what Dean told me about some places not liking cats, which was why I had to sneak in. Another reason why I didn't like this place. All I could do was stand up on my hind legs and peek out from underneath the curtains, and I didn't do that for very long because my sides still hurt.

I ignored the window after that. And the spirit thing in the bathroom, too.

Oh. I didn't mention that before, did I? It's no big deal. I've seen spirits before. I could see right thru this one. He was this little old hairless human man in a suit. He died in one of the rooms but he didn't leave.

Second time I used the litter box in the bathroom Suit Man stuck his head out of the wall behind the tub and stared at me. I didn't like that, so when I finished I hopped out, sat down, and stared right back at him. Real hard.

He jerked back into the wall.

Good.

This one was dead, but he wasn't stupid. He was scared of Dean and his Dad. He could tell from the way they looked and the way they moved that they weren't normal humans, and all those things in those duffel bags they carried was another clue.

And now spooky was scared of _me_.

Damn right. He'd _better_ be scared.

You ever wonder why your cat gets real quiet, sits there and stares at something that you can't see? Why she or he tracks whatever this is with their eyes? Chances are it's a human spirit. Humans leave a piece of themselves in places if they're really scared or mad all the time. It's like an echo. If they die in that place, sometimes they don't cross over, like this one. They don't let go. They can't.

Maybe it's a good thing most of you guys can't see ghosts. All that screaming you do gives me a headache. There's more to life than what you can see, and most humans chose not to see any more than that, even after they die.

Animals don't do that. We move on when it's time, and sometimes we come back to check on our humans, see if they're okay, then we're gone again. It's nothing personal if we don't stay. When I lived indoors a few of my housemates came back. Did I run around screaming? No. We touched noses and then they left.

By the way, we don't call ourselves _cats_. Or_ felines_. That's a name you humans thought up for us. We know _who _and _what_ we are.

Am I going to tell you what those names are?

Heck no. Can't tell you _everything_, now can I?

And don't ask me about the Rainbow Bridge. That's not what _we_ call it. I'll just say we have our own place over there and leave it at that.

I sat there staring at the wall, daring the dead dummy to poke his head back out. I knew he wouldn't. He was one of the quiet ones. The air around them is white.

Apparently he'd never been around cats too much when he was alive, and now he thought he could throw his weight around. Dummy. I had his number as soon as I looked at him, so when I went back into the room I didn't try to tell Dean or his Dad. All spooky was ever gonna do was hide in the walls until the end of time. Humans don't always go crazy when they decide to stay. Most do, but this one wasn't going to get mad or violent. The motel was as good a place as any to stay.

The violent ones? The air's black around them. Fear gives them power. That spooky stuff won't work on a cat. A dumb dog? Works on them most the time. I've seen those stupid hounds go into a frenzy barking and whining, when all they had to do was just sit down, shut the hell up and call the spook's bluff by staring them down.

I've seen these things all my life. What I hadn't seen before were those damn things in the woods. The smell-bad ones that are solid.

_That_ was news to me. What was also news to me was what Dean and his Dad did for a living. Hunting and killing those things. I admit it, I thought all you humans did was run around shrieking and crying whenever you saw stuff like that.

You learn something new every day.

* * *

><p>Next up: The art of sleeping with humans<p> 


	13. the art of sleeping with humans

_**A/N: **_Meggin, this chapter's for you.

_**Disclaimer:**_ I don't own Supernatural. This is for entertainment only, and not for profit. Cujo owns me.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Part 13 – the art of sleeping with humans<strong>_

First rule: No matter how well trained your human is when they're awake, they lose all that training when they're asleep in bed.

Don't believe me? Fine. Humans just don't know how to stay put when they're sleeping on a bed. They move all over, and believe me, getting kicked by those big feet is no fun. Even the small ones hurt. I've known cats who get squished and kicked and they just love it.

Idiots.

Once, when I was younger, I made the mistake of snuggling up to this little girl while she took her afternoon nap. I'd been with her for a while and I really thought I'd trained her right. Hey, I was little more than a kitten myself. What did I know? The next thing I knew the kid wrapped her arms around me tight. I couldn't breathe, so I whapped her upside the head a couple of times, with my claws in, just to make her get off me. If I wanted to hurt her, I could have. I didn't scratch her, but that didn't matter.

She started screaming. Her parents tried to catch me but I ducked the broom the mother swung at me with and ran out of the house before they could take me to the bad shelter place.

That never happened to me again. The next time I decided to live with a human I made my own sleeping arrangements. They tried to coax me out, saying "Oh, kitty, why don't you sleep on the bed?"

Fool me twice, shame on me.

Second rule: When humans sleep on a sofa they don't move around so much. Maybe it's because they don't have a lot of space. You can sleep tucked up against their sides, or on their stomachs. Keep that in mind.

Third rule: Just because humans turn out the lights and lie down doesn't mean that you, as a feline, have to. If you jump around on the bed and bother them too much, they might start thinking about how peaceful it would be _not_ to have a cat.

It goes without saying that humans have got the whole thing wrong. They should stay up at night with us, and sleep during the day. And most of them don't.

Humans get annoyed pretty easily. Best case scenario? You'll get kicked out of the bedroom. Worst case? They'll throw your furry ass outside. That's not good when it's cold outside.

Unless that was what you were going for in the first place.

I didn't have a sofa or a bedroom. When you really think about it, I had two beds, Dean's and his Dad's, their laps, all the chairs and tables, and a closet if we were lucky, not to mention all those duffel bags and those food bags. Not too many boxes with thesetwo, but that was okay.

Why should I have a cat bed all to myself? That's ridiculous. The humans' beds are _mine. _

_ALL mine_.

If I want to be alone I can go hide in the closet, or underneath a bed.

One night after the television went dark and the lights went off I waited until I heard both of them snore and then hopped down and limped over to the big man's bed. I usually slept on Dean's bed but sometimes it's good to switch up. It was a grass is greener on the other side kind of thing.

I jumped up onto the bed, and as soon as I landed the Dad's eyes opened and he glared at me.

_"Get the hell off. Now."_

_Fine. Be that way. _I turned right around and jumped down like I meant to do that all along.

When I jumped back up on Dean's bed he turned over on his side towards me and laughed. "Bet you won't do that again."

I don't like being laughed at. I stayed at the foot of the bed, turned my back to him and laid down. I ignored him all night.

The next night we settled down to watch another movie. There were a lot of birds in this one, and they didn't like humans very much. They pecked them and chased them. I sat there chattering at the screen.

_Stop running around like that. Stop screaming. It's just a bird. I like that big fat one. Why don't you grab it!_

The humans inside the box didn't listen to me.

I curled up against Dean's left side. He always made this funny little purring sound in his sleep. I don't purr, never have, but that's what this sounded like. Usually he smelled safe. Happy. I think it had something to do with the fact that his Dad was around. The big man had the bed near the door. He didn't purr, he growled and whistled when he slept.

The bird movie went off, and the lights went out. This time Dean smelled sad, and I couldn't figure out why.

Should have paid more attention to that, but I didn't.

The kid didn't move around much. He slept on his back because of that busted right arm of his. I had the feeling he was just as sick of his damn cast as I was of mine.

Maybe he was, but I forgot rule number one.

I drifted off and dreamed about chasing rabbits through the grass. My right leg was fine. This big ol' fat rabbit was right in right of me, and I crouched down and wiggled my butt just before I jumped on him. I was in mid-air, and then something heavy landed on top of me and I woke up. I was on my stomach.

Dean was on top of me. He'd turned over on his side and threw his right arm over me.

I wanted to twist around and hit him with my left paw, but his arm was heavy. All I could do was lay there and fuss. _Eeeeeeoooowwwww!_

I looked up at his face. His eyes were still closed, but he was frowning, like he was seeing something in his sleep he didn't like. Moving around like that must have hurt because I heard him whimper a little as he turned over on his back again.

As soon as he lifted his arm I jumped up, limped around the back of the pillow and laid down on his left side. I thought I was safe.

Wrong.

Dean wasn't awake, but he was talking. "N-nooo…."

I froze. He sounded like an animal caught in a trap. Dean turned in my direction and I saw his arm go up. I dodged his fist and hopped down to the corner of the bed. My fur stood up from the noises Dean made.

"S-Sam-my? N-nooo…leav' 'im alone…."

I backed up and my hind feet slipped over the edge of the bed. Dean kicked out with his feet and I went flying backwards onto the floor.

"Dean!" The Dad barked loudly.

Dean moved around a little, but not as bad as before. His head tilted in the big man's direction, like he was listening. I wanted to jump back onto the bed but Dean kicked out at me again, so I backed off, snarling and hissing.

"Dean," the big man said, gently this time, but firm. "It's okay."

"Nuh….no…."

"It's all right. It's okay. Stand down, son. Stand down."

Dean stopped moving. He took a deep breath and started purring again. I sat down on the floor. Looked like I was sleeping down there tonight.

The big man leaned over and looked at me. "Cuje?"

I turned around and looked at him.

"C'mere, Princess."

He sounded friendly enough. I hopped up on his bed and limped over. The Dad skritched me behind the ears. Felt good, so I leaned into his fingers and grunted at him. _Don't stop_ sounded like _eeeeeooohhhhh_ I think he got the message.

The big man nodded at the boy, and for a moment he smelled sad. Didn't last long. "He gets like that sometimes. He'll be okay in the morning. We've had enough R & R. Time to go back to work." The skin around the Dad's eyes crinkled and he kept that soft look, even when he looked at me.

One last head rub, and when he took his hand away I almost fell over.

I glared at him. _I didn't tell you to stop._

He laughed. "Yeah, that's Sammy's bitchface, all right."

_Mine is better._

"I wouldn't go over there again. Not tonight anyway, you little dummy." Then the big man laid back down, closed his eyes and pretty soon he started growling and whistling in his sleep.

_Hmph._ I curled up in a ball, tucked my head in and closed my eyes. _You're the dummy._

-30-

Next chapter will be posted tomorrow.


	14. cast off

_**Part 14 – cast off**_

The next morning I ignored Dean. I ignored his Dad, too.

He called me _Princess_. I kind of liked the sound of that. Never let him know that, though.

They both got up early, but before they did I hid underneath the Dad's bed. Dean called me and I refused to come out. He finally got down on his hands and knees.

"You gonna stay there all day? What the hell's the matter with you?"

I didn't move, not even when he reached out his hand to me.

I hissed at him.

"Okay. You wanna be an ass about this, suit yourself."

He left me alone. I wasn't that mad at either one, but I had to play the part. I wanted him to feel guilty. Guilty humans are more easily trained humans.

While I was under the bed I heard them talking about me.

"What's the matter with her?" Dean sounded worried.

I liked that.

"Dude…uh….you rolled over on her and kicked her out of bed last night."

"Oh, crap."

"How's the arm?"

"I feel okay. 'm tired of this friggin' cast."

"Time to get back to work, kiddo. We're leaving at noon."

The rest of the morning was just like the others. The big man left to hunt for their food and Dean put dry food in my bowl. He thought I'd come out while he was around. I didn't.

I came out from underneath the bed while he was in the shower. He left the door open so I walked right in. He was naked, he was wet, and I doubted he'd try to chase me like that.

Dean smeared that white soapy stuff on his skin. I know what 'soap' is. Someone tried to give me a bath.

Once.

"Now what?" He sounded like he was growling at me.

Ahh hahh! He said something to me first. I didn't answer, didn't change expression, I just sat there staring. Some humans don't like it when we cats stare. I've heard that you think we're thinking deep thoughts, or stuff like "Wow, is she fat. Please, put some clothes on. I think I just went blind."

I stared at Dean and I was thinking about my catnip mouse. And whether I'd get any treats later on. Something special to make up for being kicked last night.

Dean huffed. "Take a picture. It'll last longer. Pervert." He turned his back to me and stood underneath the water.

That was it? That was all?

That didn't work like I thought it would.

I stood up, slow and careful, like I really didn't care what he said or did. I still had that cast on my right leg, so the slow part was for real. I walked out, went over to my food bowl, ate some food and drank water.

Hey, no sense in being dumb about this. I want to make them feel guilty, not starve myself.

I was back underneath the bed when the Dad came back. He and the boy sat at the table and ate and I tried not to listen to the way my stomach growled. I smelled cooked meat. I wanted some.

Afterwards they sat at the table looking at some papers and then I heard the Dad talk to somebody. I didn't bother to come out because I was pretty sure he wasn't talking to the boy.

"We can make it there in three days, Singer. Gonna take a run up to the cabin first." There was some other stuff I didn't quite understand, something about "good credit cards" whatever the heck they are. I got bored and stopped listening.

Sometime later I heard something make this weird noise. It wasn't like a dog, not exactly. The sound was a little too high pitched for that. I poked my head out from under the bed and took a look.

Dean was sitting down with his cast on the table. His Dad had this noisy shiny sharp thing in his hand. He cut Dean's cast off.

The noise and the white dust was enough to make me come out from underneath the bed. And sit there. And stare.

They ignored me.

I'm not used to that. And I don't like it.

Whenever I give my humans the cold shoulder they usually try to kiss up to me (and sometimes I mean for real) to get me to pay them some attention.

Not these two. There was no "Here, kitty kitty." No extra kibble in my bowl, no treats to get on my good side. I was looking forward to a bit of shrimp or maybe some chicken. A thigh or a drumstick would have been nice.

Instead I got nothing.

The big man shut the noisy knife off and Dean peeled the white stuff away from his arm. He wiggled his arm a little, then he grinned. He looked happy. He stood up and then he picked up the towel hanging on the back of his chair.

I should have known something was going on, but I got distracted. First thing I thought was that I still had my cast on, and I wondered if I was ever going to get it off. The second thing I noticed was everything was packed up. The duffel bags were sitting by the door. My duffel bag with the towel was on the bed.

Dean and his Dad were really quiet. I couldn't read them. Dean walked over and scooped me up with the towel. He moved fast, like he was a cat. I was wrapped up so tightly I couldn't move.

What the hell? My ears went back and my claws came out.

I hate towels. And squirrels. And shelters.

And everyone in the damn shelters.

Dean held me even tighter, picked me up and sat me down on his lap. I couldn't move anything but my head, my ears and my mouth, and I called them every feline curse word I could think of.

The Dad looked at me and winked. He had a knife in his hand. "Your turn, girl."

He put his arm around me so I couldn't move, and then he loosened the towel just enough so my right front leg stuck out. I couldn't do

I started squirming. And talking. It sounded like I was saying "eeeow eh nuh eeeoww" but what I was really saying was "I don't like this, leave me alone-"

"Cujo, quit it!"

Whenever Dean barked at me like that he sounded like a dog. He told me once before that was his command voice, and that meant I had to stop whatever I was doing. Right then and there.

_"If you wanna run with us, little girl, you gotta learn the ropes."_

I stopped moving around as the big man reached out. He touched my right paw and I tried to jerk away.

"Come on, now. You want to get this damn cast off, right?" Dean told me. "Now hold still."

I did, but I didn't like it. I watched the Dad cut into the white part with the knife. I grumbled under my breath. If he hurt me I was going to claw him.

He sawed the cast open and then slipped it off. As soon as it was off all the way I swiped at him with my right paw, with my claws out all the way.

I missed.

"Knock it off, you big baby." Dean told me. "See? That didn't hurt, did it?"

_Hmph._ I shook my right foreleg. It felt good to have it back again, but they wrapped me up in a_ towel_, for Bast's sake!

Dean stood up, turned around and put me down on his bed. He loosened the towel and stepped back.

I kept right on hissing and spitting. I dived off the bed and ran into the closet. I was so mad I was shaking all over. I heard the front door open, heard them moving around out there.

They were leaving.

They were leaving _me_. And I didn't care.

After a while it got quiet out there. I couldn't stand it. That was when I realized I_ did_ care, but it was too late. I pushed past the closet door and ran into the room _eowing_ really loud.

My duffel bag was still sitting on Dean's bed. The door was half closed, and everything else was gone. I hopped up on the bed and jumped into the bag.

I kept yelling as loud as I could. _I'm here…don't leave me… I'm here…don't leave me-_

I yelled so loud I didn't notice when Dean came back.

I jumped a little when he touched me.

"It's okay. I'm here."

He skritched me behind the ears, all nice and rough like I like it sometimes.

"And uh, 'm sorry I kicked you, okay?"

I grunted at him. _Better not do it again._

"All right, then."

He picked up the bag, and away we went. Dean drove the black car.

* * *

><p>I don't like car rides. If I were a dumb dog I would probably love it, hang out the window and slobber over everything. I was just as happy to stay in the duffel bag and doze off.<p>

On the way in Dean stopped the car at this food place and came out with a big brown bag full of nice loud smells. I figured I was going to get a taste of whatever was in the bag anyway.

We finally ended up at another cabin out in the woods this time. It was getting dark by the time we stopped. When Dean laid my bag on the bed I hopped out and looked around for something to eat.

I got canned food this time. Chicken bits, with lots of gravy. It wasn't shrimp, but it was still pretty good.

Later on Dean and his Dad went outside and hit each other.

I've said all along these two weren't like other people, didn't I?

They circled one another and a couple of times Dean hit the ground. I watched them for a little while, and then I went back into the cabin and inspected all the rooms. This was the biggest cabin I'd been in yet.

Houses are tricky places, and it's always good to make sure that there's nothing hiding in the corners. I could smell mice. They were gone now, but they might come back.

By the time I was finished the humans had finished hitting each other. They came inside and closed the door behind them. They ate their food.

I smelled shrimp. I stared at Dean so hard and so long he tossed me one.

I stared at the Dad and he tossed me one too.

They were learning. I got small shrimp, but better than nothing at all.

Later on we went to bed. Dean was tired. He didn't move around like he did before, and he purred a lot. His Dad did too. I slept at the foot of the bed, and I didn't get kicked once.

The next day I upchucked a hairball on the Dad's pillow.

I figured I owed him one.

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><p>TBC next week<p> 


	15. kitten crazies

**A/N:** I have limited internet now, but I just wanted to thank everyone who reviewed this and other fics of mine. I will answer each and every one. Thanks again!

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><p><em><strong>Part 15 - kitten crazies<strong>_

I realized something the next morning.

I got my right leg back.

I was so upset about the towel it didn't dawn on me later that I got my right leg back.

The damn cast was gone. Finally. After I dropped that hairball on the big man's pillow I got the kitten crazies. Huh. I'm four years old, and I still get them sometimes. Well, every day, to hear them tell it.

I raised up on my tip-toes, laid my ears back and skittered sideways. I don't have a long tail, just a little finger crook of a tail, but it wagged back and forth really fast. It felt like I was jumping out of my skin, but in a good way.

I felt good.

I wanted to move. Wanted to run. No particular reason. Just because. Everything around me seemed brighter and clearer.

Both the man and the boy stopped what they were doing and stared at me.

"What the hell?" Dean whispered. My eyes must have looked really crazy looking. "Christo."

The big man laughed.

I ran and leaped and jumped all around the room. There weren't any curtains at the windows, so I couldn't climb them, but I ran across the beds. I didn't care if I knocked stuff off onto the floor. That's the whole point of the crazies.

I kept seeing this little grey mouse running all over the place right in front of me, and I knew it wasn't real and I chased it anyway. Then I found my rubber mouse underneath Dean's bed and I killed it. The mouse, I mean, not the bed. I picked the mouse up in my mouth and ran for the bathroom. I jumped up and held onto the door frame with all four paws. I held the mouse in my mouth and I stared at my humans.

That tail of mine never stopped twitching. _Do you see this? Do you see what I did?_

Then I jumped down, ran into the bathroom and leaped into the tub.

There's nothing like a good game of tub hockey to make a cat feel right. I thumped and bumped around the tub, made a lot of noise as I swatted my mouse around. The humans stood there staring at me.

"Oh yeah," Dean muttered. "She's nuts."

I dropped the mouse, jumped out of the tub. I ran halfway up the Dad's leg, bounced off, hit the wall, turned, and landed on the floor. I jumped up onto the table and then onto the kitchen sink. I ended up on top of that refrigerator thing and crouched there staring at everything. My tail twitched back and forth, and so did my ears.

Okay, what's next?

Well, why not? I was happy.

It finally got so bad the man threw the door open and glared at me. "Go on." He nodded at the woods around the cabin. "Get out there and get it out of your system."

There were squirrels out there. And birds. And mice.

Mice, damn it!

So I jumped down and ran outside.

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><p>Next chapter: Thursday<p> 


	16. fast food

_**A/N: **_This fic has over 100 reviews. WHEEE! I thank you, and Cujo thanks you too. I see we have some mind readers in our midst. Yep, Cujo decides to feed Dean some of the finer cat cuisine.

I'm still working on answering reviews, but I wanted to let you know I appreciate your taking the time to read and comment. Thanks again!

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><p><em><strong>Part 16 – fast food <strong>_

During the day I heard the black car start up and move away from the cabin, but I wasn't worried. I knew they weren't going to leave me.

I had a good time while I was out there. I chased everything. Leaves, squirrels, birds, you name it. I even saw some of those big brown four leggers out there. I think you people call them deer. I chased them around and they didn't seem to like it much. Too bad.

I came back just before it was dark. Sat at the door and _eowed_ as loud as I could. That was hard because my mouth was full.

Dean opened the door and I walked right in. "So you decided to come back, huh?"

I grunted at him. For a moment I had the feeling that he thought I wasn't going to leave him. That seems to be a thing with him.

The Dad rolled his eyes when he saw me. He's lucky that hairball was all I gave him. I ignored him and jumped up on Dean's bed. I opened my mouth and dropped the mouse I brought in onto his pillow.

I've never seen him eat one. I thought he might like it.

"Cujo, what the hell is _that_?"

Hmmm. Maybe not.

The big man had to sit down, he was laughing so hard. I still don't understand why.

Didn't understand why Dean was acting so funny, either. I catch the fattest mouse out there, and_ this_ is the thanks I get?

The Dad laughed even harder, and I just didn't get the joke. "Dude…you hunt all kinds of fuglies, and you're afraid of one little mouse?"

Dean made this funny face as he picked the mouse up by the tail. I dunno, he acted like it was going to bite him or something.

"I'm not afraid of it. It's a mouse. And a mouse is nothing but a small rat. I hate those damn things!"

I sat there waiting for him to eat it. He offered it to me instead. "Ummm…you can have it back if you want to."

I didn't want any. My bowl was filled with wet food. Chicken and salmon shreds. I could smell it. I _eeowed_ at him, jumped down and went to my own bowls. I wasn't going to share my food. Dean had his mouse.

He didn't eat it. As a matter of fact he threw it outside and closed the door. That was a waste of a good mouse, but I wasn't hungry and I didn't bother to go out and get it.

And when it was time to go to bed Dean put the pillow on the floor. So I slept on it. Why not? He wasn't using it. Come to think of it, he never did after that.

I don't know what I'm going to do with this kid.

The next day I went out in the morning after breakfast and brought him back a bird. Big. Plump.

Dean didn't eat that, either, even though I put it up on the table for him. Maybe he was a picky eater. I get like that sometimes, so I went out and got him something else for dinner later on.

The big man laughed at me again. Fine. No squirrel for you.

* * *

><p>More Cujo next week.<p> 


	17. collared

_**Cujo 17 - collared**_

The next day the big man went out to the black car and came back inside with one of the duffels and a brown paper bag. He sat down at the table and started pulling things out of the bags. I didn't smell any food so I didn't pay any attention. I wandered outside.

Dean was on the ground on his stomach, and at first I thought he was taking a nap. Then he pushed himself up so that only his hands and his toes touched the ground. He used both arms at first, and then he used only his right arm for a while. Then his left. Up and down. Up and down.

I jumped up on his back. That made him laugh, so I knew it was all right. I sat there and rode up and down, a couple of times, and then I decided to knead. I spread my paws wide and dropped my claws and I kneaded and kneaded on Dean's back. He started squirming, even though he had on one of those t shirts, but he never stopped pushing himself up and down.

"Damn, girl, that hurts."

Big baby.

I kneaded some more. It got so good to me my eyes went to slits and I grinned to myself.

_Mine. All mine._

"All right," Dean growled at me. "Ride's over, wavy gravy."

He stood up and I tumbled off. I landed on my feet. I _eeeowed _at him. That was rude.

I heard the Dad call out, "Dean, bring Cujo in here, will ya? Got something for her."

Dean scooped me up and tucked me against his chest. I fussed at him a little and he knuckled me underneath my chin, slow and rough, just the way I like it. I didn't jump down and run off. I should have. I recognized my name, so I thought that the big man bought me something to make up for him laughing at me. I thought I was going to get a treat. Maybe another rubber mouse. I had that and a couple of fuzzy balls I liked to bat around, but you can never have enough toys, and I'll take everything I can get.

"Here."

It was a collar.

_A damn collar!_

It was dark brown leather with a gold buckle. It didn't look like any collar I'd ever seen before. There were all these funny looking shapes and squiggles carved and painted into the leather. This little gold thing hung down from the collar ring. It looked like one of those coins the humans use, but this looked old.

The Dad smiled at me. "Protection symbols. That'll hold you until we get to Pastor Jim's."

Dean pulled up the other chair and sat down with me in his lap. He put his hand around my chest so I couldn't run off. I tried to look innocent, like I didn't realize what they were doing. I've worn collars before. And I've always gotten out of them, too. My neck is small, and I can usually wiggle backwards out of a collar without too much trouble. They wanted me to wear a collar? Fine.

I'd wear it.

For a little while.

Well, that was my plan, anyway. Dean put the collar around my neck. He fiddled around with it, then he handed it back to his Dad. "Needs a smaller hole. Her neck's really small."

The big man took the collar back and added an extra hole with his knife. Dean took the collar back and buckled it around my neck. As soon as he finished I knew I wouldn't be able to get it off by myself. It was a perfect fit, not too loose, not too tight.

Dean put me down on the floor and I just sat there, wide-eyed. That damn collar was around my neck and it was heavy and it felt funny and all I wanted to do was get rid of it but I couldn't.

I hopped forward, sideways, then I crouched down with my head low. That little coin thing on the collar weighed a ton.

I made my eyes really big and pitiful looking as I stared up at Dean and his Dad. _How could you do this to me? _that look of mine said. _How could you? _

My whiskers and ears drooped. So did that stubby little tail of mine. I was really working that whole "I'm sad and this is all YOUR fault, humans" thing. 

_You have to take this off. Right now. You have to. Pleaaaassse?_

The Look _always_ works on humans. Any second now they'd see the error of their ways, pick me up and take the collar off.

"Huh," Dean crossed his arms over his chest, cocked his head to one side and stared at me hard. "She's got Sammy's puppy dog eyes, too."

His Dad nodded. "That girl's a real drama queen."

He didn't move to take the collar off. And neither did Dean.

This wasn't working out like I thought it would. Just to make sure they understood how I felt, I opened my mouth and moaned, long and loud.

Nothing.

I sat there blinking. I couldn't believe it. Where did I go wrong?

Dean went outside and turned on the music in the black car. He walked around to the back of the car and took out this big metal box.

I turned towards the open door and moaned again, really loud.

Dean ignored me. He opened up the front of the car, leaned in and started singing along. He was doing something under there. The big man sat at the table and wrote in that book of his. At one point that phone of his went off and he answered it.

"No, we're still coming. Gonna head on over to Blue Earth first, Singer. What's the matter, you miss us that much, huh?"

I flattened my ears back at the sound of his voice. He wasn't saying anything important. Finally I rolled over on my side, stretched out and took a nap.

When I woke up the collar was still around my neck, but I ignored it. There was food in my bowl. Tender chicken bits in gravy this time. I ate it all, licked the bowl clean and then hopped up on Dean's bed. I licked my paws, slowly. That damn coin jiggled a little every time I moved. Didn't really bother me, but I still didn't like it.

The Dad grinned at me a little every time he looked at me that day. He looked smug. That look said _Gotcha_, and we both knew it.

I think he was getting back at me for that hairball I put on his pillow.

* * *

><p>More later on this week.<p> 


	18. picture day

_**Cujo – picture day**_

We went on the road the next day, but we never got to that Blue Earth place. Not until later.

Whenever we traveled I sat where ever I wanted to. I had my choice of Dean's lap or his Dad's, whichever one wasn't driving. Sometimes I took a nap in my duffel on the back bench.

I quit trying to get the collar off by that time. I couldn't get it off, so there was no sense in fussing about it. The Dad drove this time. I could have slept on Dean's lap, but I still didn't want them to think I was used to the collar, so I slept in my duffel in the back seat instead.

After a while we pulled into this big place with all these cars and people around. The building was really big. I think it's called a mall.

I spent one summer in the woods behind a mall once. It wasn't so bad. Humans always throw a lot of food away behind the place. I could always find something to eat and a lot of it wasn't bad, either. Plenty of birds and mice came to eat too. Sometimes I'd eat them instead.

I didn't like the raccoons that showed up. Not at all. They were pushy and they thought they owned the place.

After we stopped I heard the Dad say, "They've gotta have one around here somewhere" just as Dean reached in and picked up my bag by the handles. I heard people all around. Dean didn't tell me to come out yet, so I didn't. I could tell we were inside. The air felt different, and their were more food and people smells.

Finally Dean said, "Okay, girl."

I stuck my head out. We were in this little box with curtains. The big man was outside. Dean took me out of the duffel and sat me down on his lap. He pulled out some of that paper money and stuck it into this box.

"Okay," he told me, "smile for the birdie."

I pricked up my ears at that one. _Bird? Where?_

The box clicked a lot but I still didn't see any birds.

This funny little paper came out of the box. It was long and shiny. Dean picked it up and looked at it, then he showed it to me. "Well, at least we didn't break the camera."

I grunted at him. I didn't pay much attention to the paper. I couldn't eat it. Or play with it.

On the way back to the car Dean and his Dad looked at those funny shiny papers. Apparently the Dad took some inside the box too. I heard him say that now we had pictures of each other in case any of us got separated.

I don't get that. I know what we all look like.

The big man's phone rang while we walked. He didn't say much, and at the end I heard him growl out, "Okay, we'll be there." Then he told Dean, "Change of plans, kiddo. We got a job. A 'geist, from the sound of it."

Dean got in on the other side while his Dad slid behind the wheel. He put my duffel on the seat between them, then he slid his hand inside and skritched me behind the ears. I felt like purring, so I did, a little.

That collar came in handy later on. The next couple days were filled with blood, screaming humans, and stupid dogs.

You can add spirits to the list of things I hate.

More this week.


	19. dark house

_**A/N: **_Devil dogs – slang term for Marines.

_**Disclaimer:**_ I don't own _Supernatural_. This is for entertainment only, and not for profit. Don't own Cujo, either. Dogs have owners. Cats have staff.

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><p><em><strong>Part 19 – dark house <strong>_

The big man talked while he drove. The call was from another human named Lester Biel, and apparently he and the big man were devil dogs somewhere a long time ago.

Devil dogs, huh? The way the Dad barks and growls sometimes, I'm not surprised at that.

Biel and his family were having problems with something in this new house they just moved into, and that's why he called.

After we pulled off from the mall I climbed out of the duffel and into Dean's lap. I stretched my neck out and he rubbed me under my chin. "Any history on the house?"

The Dad laughed. "Not that Les knows of. Real estate agents lie like rugs about that kind of stuff all the time. They moved in last month. Things started happening a week ago. Small stuff at first. Doors swinging open, then closed. Scratching in the walls. Lights flickering on and off. This morning whatever this is decided to re-decorate. It put all the furniture in the house on the ceiling. Sounds like a 'geist, but we won't know for sure until we get there."

Dad quirked an eyebrow at his Dad. "And they didn't leave?"

"I told him to. He and his family are supposed to meet us outside. Here we go."

When we stopped I stood up, put my paws on the door and stared at the house.

There was no one out there.

"Damn," the big man whispered. "I told him to get the hell out of there."

The sun was out, but the windows looked black. I smelled darkness in the air. It made the inside of my nose burn. I didn't growl. I felt like moaning, but I didn't.

"She's onto something," the Dad said quietly.

Dean nodded. He didn't touch me, didn't lie to me and tell me that I was being silly, that things were all right. They weren't, and we all knew it. I've never understood why humans can't see these things too. Maybe they're too scared to see. I knew Dean and his Dad couldn't see them, not like I could, but they knew more about the bad things than the normal humans ever did.

He reached into the back seat and pulled out one of the other duffels. He pulled out a shotgun. He broke it open, reached into the duffel and pulled out these metal shells. I smelled rock salt. He loaded two of them into the gun, laid it on the seat, and then did the same thing with another shotgun. Dean took that one, and some shells. He slipped them in his pocket.

I never moved. I kept staring bug-eyed at the house. My tail twitched back and forth.

"Holy water," the big man said. I laid my ears back at that one. I remembered that bath he gave me. "You got your flask?"

Dean patted his jacket pocket and nodded.

"Okay. Let's go."

I still didn't move, not even when Dean scooped me up and put me inside my duffel bag. They slipped the guns underneath their jackets as they got out. Dean put my bag on his shoulder and I kept my head out. He didn't tell me to go back in, either.

"Wait." The Dad walked around to the back of the car and opened the trunk. He poked around in another bag and pulled out a couple of coins that looked like the one I had on my collar, only these hung from small chains. He handed one to Dean, along with some other stuff. I glanced backwards just in time to see the big man slip one of the chains around his neck. He handed the other one to Dean and he put his on too.

I stared at the house and my body felt like it was shaking from the inside. I wanted to attack it. I wanted to go in. I wanted to run and hide.

"You got that knife Pastor Jim blessed?" the Dad drawled.

"Yeah." Dean grinned a little. "I don't leave home without it." His smile faded. "What are you thinking?"

"I dunno. Got a feeling. A bad one. You follow my lead on this one." The big man closed the trunk and started up the sidewalk.

I came halfway out of the bag, put both paws on Dean's shoulder. I started growling, low and hard. I was right next to his ear, and I felt it when he jumped, but I couldn't help myself.

"Crap," he whispered, and then he followed his Dad up to the front door.

The big man didn't have to knock. It swung open as soon as we were on the top step. All the fur on my body stood up and out so hard it hurt.

The man behind the door had the widest, brightest grin of any human I've ever seen. There were too many teeth in his mouth. He looked like he was really glad to see us.

"Johnny boy!" Biel said. "Welcome to the party!"

His eyes were pitch black, and somehow I knew_ that_ wasn't good.

* * *

><p>More this week.<p> 


	20. black smoke and meatsuits

_**A/N: **_As everybody knows by now, the story and review alerts for FFnet have been acting pretty wonky for the last week or so. I still have limited internet access. Sneaking around at work sucks. If I haven't answered your review, I apologize. I should have home internet back soon. I appreciate the fact that you guys take time out of your busy lives to read what I write.

Real Life is acting up again, so between that and FFnet's alert troubles I've decided not to update this and other stories (like Black Horse and Ourobouros) any more this week. It'll be once a week from now on. Maybe next week FFnet will have the problem corrected. If RL calms down I'll post updates on Friday or Saturday.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Part 20 - black smoke and meatsuits <strong>_

The Biel thing blinked. "What's _this_? A cat? _Seriously_?" I didn't like the way he looked at me. "You couldn't afford a dog, huh?"

There were too many teeth in his mouth when he grinned. They were pointy too. "Hello kitty."

I hissed at him even louder. I dropped my claws. I didn't realize I was digging into Dean's shoulders like that, until I felt him tense up. I pulled them in a little bit, but not all the way.

The big man looked bored. He pulled the shotgun out from underneath his coat and pointed it in Biel's face. Dean pulled his gun out just as a woman and a young boy about eight years old and an older girl came down the stairs.

Dean pointed his gun at them.

Their eyes were black. There was a dog, too. A big dumb German Shepherd. The girl had a leash around its neck. She jerked the dog forward. It yelped and dug its feet into the carpet and didn't want to come.

Figures that this dumb dog would let his family get like that.

I chattered and clicked my teeth together. I wanted to jump off Dean's shoulder and rip into them with my claws. I knew they were just humans, but it was the dark things inside that made my fur stand on end. I felt twitchy, and so did my tail.

"Easy, Cujie," Dean whispered.

"John boy. So this is the way it is, huh?"

The Dad nodded. "Pretty much. What the hell do you want?"

"This your boy?" This deep voice came out of the little boy's mouth. "Oh, he's a looker."

The young girl licked her lips as she stared at Dean.

"Nice meatsuit. I got first dibs on him," the other one said.

"Come and get me, bitch," Dean growled.

Biel rolled his eyes. "There's only one way this will play out. You and your boy are going to step inside and put your weapons down."

I growled even louder.

The demon thing smiled. "I'll do you a favor. You can even bring your pretty little kitty."

_Pretty?_

"She's a tiny little thing. Just a mouthful. We can have a snack later on. Otherwise, ol' Lester is going to die slow. Then the little missus, then the kiddies. All that blood's gonna be on your hands, John boy."

"Okay." The big man shrugged. He looked at Dean. "Time to go, kiddo."

Dean nodded and stepped back. That wasn't what I expected to happen.

Biel's mouth dropped open. "You're - you're leaving?"

The Dad laughed, but I could tell he didn't think any of this was funny. "Damn right. How fucking stupid do you think we are?"

"You-you can't leave-"

"Watch us." The Dad showed them his teeth.

The demon pointed to Biel's body. "I mean, you're his friend—"

"Uh huh." Dean backed up. He lowered his gun a little. He looked all calm and casual, but I knew better.

And he didn't turn his back on them. The big man didn't either.

"You're hunters! You're supposed to watch out for the innocent-"

"I can see we're not on the same page, princess, so let me enlighten you. This is the part where we get back in our car and drive away. Whatever happens after that is on you. It'll be bloody. I don't doubt that, but shit happens. We don't let any sorry ass demon make us their bitch." The big man's eyes flickered a little as he looked at the family standing in the doorway. "Not for any reason."

The demon things stood there blinking, like they couldn't understand what was happening. The dog whined and cried and kept trying to back up. I really wanted to jump down and bat him with my claws to make him shut up. Dumb dog.

"Fine," the Biel thing said. I knew that tone. He was mad. I've heard that same voice when I ran away, when I refused to let someone I didn't like pet me. That was familiar, but what happened next wasn't.

All four of them opened their mouths wide and black smoke came pouring out.

* * *

><p>TBC<p> 


	21. two in one

_**Part 21- two in one**_

After the smoke came out of them the humans dropped to the ground. I stretched out my neck and watched it go up into the sky.

The people were asleep but they didn't smell any better to me.

I balanced on Dean's shoulder while we looked up and down the street. I didn't see any other humans out there either. The Dad slipped his gun back underneath his jacket, then he eased inside and moved from one human to another. That dumb dog whimpered like a day old puppy when the big man came near it, and the sound made my claws come out.

The big man knelt down beside them and put his fingers on their necks. "Still alive."

Dean nodded. "Let's load 'em up and shag ass outta here."

"Nope. We're not leaving."

Dean looked surprised for a moment. "Okay." Then he stepped into the house and shut the door behind him. The Dad stood up, moved even further down the hallway. "Stay with 'em. Be right back."

Dean pulled the duffel bag off his shoulder and hung it on the doorknob. That was just as well. I jumped down and walked up to that stupid German shepherd. All that whining was getting on my nerves, so I batted him in the face with my right paw. I left scratches across his muzzle. He yelped, jerked away and ran up the stairs.

I sat down and licked my left paw. I tried to soothe myself. I was still on edge, but at least he shut up.

"All right now." Dean frowned at me.

_What? I didn't do anything. _

I followed the Dad down the hall into the living room. He took the cushions off the couch and drew these marks on the bottom with a black marker he pulled out of his pocket. He put the cushions back and then he stood up on the couch and drew something on the ceiling. It was a big circle with all these other marks I'd never seen before.

I stood there watching him. When he was finished he winked at me, like he knew something I didn't. My fur was still up, and I felt really_ really_ twitchy. Dean was alone in the hallway, so I ran back there. He was right where I left him, and the big man came down the hall right after I did. He knelt down and picked up Biel, and Dean picked up the mother. They took them into the living room, set them down on the couch and then went back for the boy and the girl.

Dean stepped back and looked at his Dad. That was all. Just a look. _Okay. Now what?_

That was the way it was with those two. Sometimes they didn't say much to each other. Most of the time they didn't have to. Most humans talk too much. Dean and his Dad didn't.

The Dad pulled his leather book out of his jacket pocket and tossed it to Dean. A little piece of paper stuck out of the pages and Dean opened the book to that part.

Then they waited.

I still felt twitchy. I wanted to claw something. Anything.

The humans woke up little by little. Their arms and legs jerked. They moaned, and then they opened their eyes. I didn't see any black. Just brown and blue.

Biel sat up. He looked pale, like he was going to fall over any second. "J-John? You came…"

The Dad nodded.

"I…I don't know what to say…" Biel sat back against the couch. He swept his eyes over me, Dean and his Dad, and then glanced at his wife and the boy and girl.

"You're a good friend," Biel sounded tired. "A really good friend…"

His eyes turned black. His voice became deep and growly. "….and one dumb sumbitch, you know that?"

I saw black eyes, too many teeth. Their hands hooked into claws and they jerked forward. I backed up, hissing.

Then I realized that was a really dumb thing to do.

They couldn't get off the couch.

They tried to lift themselves up, but something I couldn't see kept their butts stuck to the cushions.

Dean and his Dad didn't seem bothered by any of this, so I sat down and licked at my right shoulder. I felt better after that.

The big man laughed, but I knew he wasn't laughing at me. "No, dumbass, that's _our _line."

He and Dean looked up at the ceiling, and the black eyed ones did too. Their eyes got big and round as they stared up at the marks and circles over their heads.

"I got my suspicions about what's going on." The Dad sounded bored. "You wanna confirm it for us before we send you back?"

This deep voice came out of the little girl. "To hell with you."

Dean looked at his Dad.

"You first." The big man nodded at Dean.

Dean started reading. He used his command voice, loud and clear. I didn't recognize any of the funny words he used. All I know is that the black eyed humans shook like leaves in a high wind. They looked sick, like they were trying to upchuck a really big hairball. The wind blew inside that house and the air smelled like burned matches. The lights flickered on and off. The walls shook, and so did the curtains.

I knew none of that was normal, but it didn't bother me much, because my humans were in charge, and the black-eyed ones weren't.

"Fuck you-" The girl yelled out.

Dean glanced at his Dad. The big man nodded again, and Dean stopped.

"We were…we were just having some fun, that's all…" The boy's voice sounded strange.

"Fun." The Dad's voice was hard and flat. "You killed three hunters last month. Seventeen people in all, counting their friends and families. More than one demon in a meatsuit. Nice trick. Get the hunters to drop their guard, the first wave leaves, and then the others come out and kill all the humans. What else?"

"That's all. Just fun-" the Biel thing said.

The big man glanced at Dean and he read from the book again, right where he left off.

The woman's eyes were black and shiny. "We won't tell you-"

They kept screaming about how they were going to kill us all, which sounded really funny since they were stuck and could only rock back and forth for side to side. I mean funny strange. None of this was funny haha.

When his Dad looked at him again Dean stopped reading.

"You left ritual sigils at each murder scene," the big man said. "The sigil of Bal-Phor, am I right?"

None of them answered, and the big man nodded. "Thought so. Twenty three blood sacrifices will bring your god topside."

"You're nothing!" The woman snarled. "You're no threat to us at all!"

"You're not paying attention are you, skank?" Dean drawled.

The Dad shrugged. "Say hello to your boss downstairs. He's not gonna be too happy to see you. Dean?"

Dean spoke the words, and they cried and begged. The wind blew really strong, so I walked over and stood between Dean and his Dad.

It was just like before. The people opened their mouths and all that darkness came out. The only difference was, this time the smoke floated up to the circle of marks over their heads. The darkness turned a pale grey color, then white, and finally disappeared altogether.

Everything was still. The humans went limp. Their eyes closed and they fell back against the couch. They stayed that way for a while. When they opened their eyes again I didn't see anything strange, just blue eyes and brown eyes.

Something was different. I padded forward, and Dean snapped at me. "Cujo, get back here-"

I glanced at him over my shoulder. Dean looked like he wanted to reach out and grab me.

His Dad put his hand on Dean's arm. "Wait a minute."

I made a noise that sounded like _ehhhh _to them. My fur went down and my tail stopped twitching. The big man stared at me, and so did my kid.

Dean and his Dad pulled those silver bottles out of their pockets.

I jumped up on the arm of the couch, put my paws on Biel's shoulders leaned forward with my neck stretched out and stared at his face. He stared at me all wide-eyed like he thought I was going to bite him. I sniffed his skin and his fear smell was so sharp and so strong I sneezed. I jumped up on the back of the couch and walked from one to the other, sniffing at the woman and the kids.

No more darkness.

I hopped down. Then I sat down, licked my right paw and cleaned my face. I felt better.

My humans relaxed a little, but not much.

Once the humans got better the big man watched over them as they packed their bags. Dean and I went through the rest of the house. He had his gun in one hand and that shiny bottle in the other. I followed the smells _(ice cream, dog treats and dog slobber, ugh!)_ in the carpets and around the edges of the rooms. Most of the time I went in first, and I don't think Dean liked that. I could feel him tense up. I think he wanted me to follow him. After the first couple of rooms he hung back and watched me.

That big dumb dog was gone. I caught his scent upstairs, but it stopped right at one of the windows. It was open and the screen was gone. When I hopped up on the windowsill and looked out I didn't see anything but the outside. He could have jumped. Dogs are stupid, but this was something else. I didn't know it at the time.

An hour later we were on the road. On the way out Dean grabbed my duffel and I jumped inside. Dean drove the family's car, and I rode up front with him. The woman and the kids rode in the back, and Biel was in the black car with the big man. They all looked tired and they didn't move around much.

We took two rooms at a motel nearby. The family talked and talked about what happened. They seemed surprised that Dean and his Dad listened and believed them. I even heard Biel say, "John, you and your boy do _this_ for a living?"

Dean smiled a little and the Dad just nodded.

Biel stared at me wide-eyed. "With a _cat_?"

I ignored him. I had more important things on my mind, like a can of shredded savory chicken in gravy. I crouched by my bowl and ate and I didn't pay attention until I heard the little boy say, "I wanna hug the kitty."

I turned around and ran. Dean was sitting on the edge of his bed and I ran between his legs and dived underneath his bed.

He shook his head at me. "Wuss."

I heard the rug rat call me a "baad kitty", but I didn't care. If he grabbed me I probably would have put the right paw of correction to him.

I'm not a cuddle cat. Especially not with kids.

"So…we can go back home tomorrow, can't we?" the young girl asked.

"You can't go home yet," Dean said simply. My ears twitched at the soft sound of his voice. "Those things will come back. They've done it before. We'll go back tomorrow. Make sure they never bother you again."

I stretched out on my side. This was a good place and a good time for a nap. I left half a bowl of food, but I wasn't about to go back out there, not while that touchy-feely kid wanted to hug me. I dozed off while they were talking, and when I woke up it was quiet, so I looked out.

The coast was clear. No kids. I didn't see the big man, but that didn't mean anything. Dean stretched out on his bed with his back against the pillow and the wall. He was reading his Dad's book. I walked over to my bowl and finished eating. Dean looked up and chuckled. "Me wanna hug the kitty."

I turned around and jumped up on the bed. When he put the book down the first thing I did was lie down on top of it. Why should he pay attention to that thing when he's got me?

He skritched me underneath my chin. That was what I really wanted anyway, so I curled my front legs around his hand and my back legs around his arm. I ignored that shiny ring thing Dean wore. I rubbed the side of my face against his fingers and then I started grooming his nails.

I've seen female humans with nails so long I wondered why they didn't poke their eyes out with them. Having sharp pointy nails would be a help, especially in this business, but Dean and the big man kept their nails short. I never did understand why. Maybe that was why he and his Dad carried all those knives.

"We're going back to that damn house tomorrow. To finish what they started," Dean told me, and even though his voice was firm, his eyes were gentle. "I go into a room first whenever we're on a job. Always, from now on. You stay behind me. You got that?"

I ignored him, so he lifted my chin up so our eyes met. "Are you even listening to me?"

_Listening to you? Nope. _I couldn't get a good grip on his short nails, so I licked and gnawed at them instead.

I knew that letting him go first wasn't going to work. My nose wouldn't allow it. And have you ever tried to teach a cat to walk on a leash? Same thing.

We stared at each other, and I swear he picked up on what I was thinking.

"You got a hard head, you know that?" Dean muttered as he skritched me underneath my chin with the rest of his fingers. "Just like Sammy."

Sam. Huh. I could still smell his scent on the Dad's journal, and on some of Dean's things. It was faint but I could tell he was the youngest human of the three. Maybe he had another family somewhere. Cats do that sometimes, have two families, and go back and forth from one to the other. I've done it once or twice. I'd stay with the second family until I got bored, and I knew the other family really missed me, and then I'd get bored and go back to the ones I left. They were usually really glad to see me. I'd stay just long enough so that the other family would miss me, and then I'd go back to them. I got lots of treats, catnip toys and really good food that way.

I didn't think this Sammy Sam was coming back, though. I hadn't seen him, and if he had come back maybe Dean wouldn't have gotten so sad sometimes. Maybe this Sam didn't know how to play the game.

The next morning we got up early. The Dad went next door and checked on the family. Dean packed up two duffels, and away we went.

TBC


	22. pigeon

_**Part 22 – pigeon**_

The sun was out. The Biel family was gone. We went back to their stupid house and got rid of that stupid black smoke and even found their stupid dog. Everything was fine.

The big man sat at the table writing something in that book of his. Dean left with the dirty clothes. I knew he'd come back with them clean, and some grocery bags I could climb into when he came through the door. I already had breakfast. Dry food. I had a taste for it, so I ate it all.

I stretched out on Dean's bed and cleaned my fur. First I licked my right paw, then I cleaned my face with it. I stuck my left hind leg up in the air and licked it, then I licked between all my toes. My claws needed trimming. I never liked it when Dean clipped my claws. He never hurt me, but they're _my_ claws, damn it. I can do them myself.

…_mine…_

My ears went up and I froze. I stopped with my leg up in mid-air.

That wasn't the Dad's voice. Wasn't Dean's either.

I stayed still as a stone for another minute, and then I felt funny inside my skin. Jumpy. Nervous.

…_mine now, mine always…_

I laid my ears back. I didn't like that voice. He sounded like he was laughing at me.

The Dad didn't even look up when I jumped off the bed. I didn't walk, I ran over to him and jumped up on the table. Usually I lie down on that book of his, but this time I didn't. I stood on the book just as he scribbled in it. I planted both paws down there so he couldn't turn the page, stretched out my neck up at him and yowled. Something wasn't right and I didn't know what it was.

The big man blinked at me. Then the corners of his eyes crinkled up. I didn't want him to look at me all soft like that, I wanted him to tell me what was wrong.

"What's got you all riled up, princess?" He reached out and tried to skritch me behind my ears, and I jerked away. I grunted at him. I didn't want that.

… _little one…_

I'd heard that voice before. I couldn't remember where.

"Fine. Be like that." I turned away and the Dad went back to his book. I jumped down to the floor again and sniffed around the edges of the room. My fur stood up on end, and my eyes got really big. My stumpy little tail twitched back and forth. I wanted to pop my claws and really rip into something, but I didn't know what.

The more I paced back and forth the more nervous I got.

Dean wasn't here. He wasn't here, and I needed him to be.

…_he's mine, _the voice said._ My Sword…_

Everything was good, wasn't it? We came back and told that stupid family everything was okay. I was glad they were gone. Stupid humans and their stupid house and their really stupid dog.

I kept prowling around the room. I jumped up and ran across both beds, then I ran across the table. The big man glared at me when I nearly knocked over his coffee cup. He sat there for a moment, looking around the room. He stared at the salt lines and those little metal thingies he'd hung in the windows. Protection, he called it.

I ran into the bathroom and Dean wasn't there. I leaped into the tub. One of my rubber mice was in there, but I didn't play tub hockey with it. I jumped out again.

_Dean._

The door opened and Dean walked in with bags in his hands.

I _eowed_ really loud, arched my back up high and rubbed against his legs, around and around. I marked him._ He's mine, not yours. Mine Mine Mine-_

"Okay. Wait a minute," he laughed. "I'm glad to see you too."

…_After I use him…_

_He's mine, _I growled back at the voice._ Mine…_ I kept pushing up against him, and Dean frowned. He looked at his Dad, and the big man frowned back at him. "She's been like that all day."

I kept talking and at one point I got up on my hind legs and looked at him. "Let me put this stuff down, all right?" He put the bags on the table, then leaned down and picked me up. I stretched out my neck and sniffed him, right between the eyes.

He still smelled like mine, but I could smell something else. Something with wings.

_After I use him, I won't leave him a slobbering wreck, little one,_ the voice said back.

I wanted to bite the voice, but I couldn't._ MINE MINE MINE MINE-_

I started shaking, and Dean felt it. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

I eowed at him, I grunted and I chirped. Dean and his Dad listened, but they couldn't understand me. They checked the salt lines and the protection again. Nothing was broken.

I spent the rest of the day following Dean around. I sat in his lap when he cleaned all his sharp, pointy metal stuff. I sat on the bed next to him when we watched tv and I put my right paw on him the whole time. I even tried to follow him into the room with the water. He didn't let me.

"Uh, Cuje, I think I can go to the bathroom by myself, okay?"

I sat by the door until he came back out.

I didn't eat. I didn't feel like it, even when Dean put some juicy beef bits into my bowl. I heard the big man say something about taking me to the V-E-T.

He spelled it, but I know what that means.

We watched a movie but I wasn't really looking at the box. When the Dad turned the lights out I didn't move away from Dean. I curled up beside him and he put his arm around me.

After a while I closed my eyes and dreamed. There was a lot of yelling…

_"Dean? Talk to me, son!"_

And a lot of hurt…

_"…d-dun't…don't come in here…Dad…"_

I saw Dean surrounded by black smoke. He breathed it in and his eyes turned black. Then his eyes turned bright gold and the smoke screamed.

I woke up.

Dean and his Dad were still asleep, but we weren't alone. He sat on the edge of the bed, and my humans didn't wake up.

He was a funny looking little man. He had brown hair and a sharp chin and a sharp nose. I saw shadows in the air behind him, two dark fluttery things that looked like bird wings.

I never saw one before, not in the flesh, but I knew what he was. You call them angels. My tribe calls them pigeons.

I backed up right next to Dean when the pigeon tried to pet my head. I popped my claws and batted at him. I missed, and that made him grin. I didn't like that. Didn't like the way he looked at the big man and especially Dean.

"Feisty little critter, aren't ya?"

I flattened my whiskers out, snarled at him, and he laughed.

"It's you and me now, okay?" he said out loud. "I just had to come see what my big bro's up to. My name's Gabriel, little girl, and I want you to tell me what happened in that Biel house."

TBC

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><p><em><strong>AN:**_ Yes, angels have come to visit. No, Nana, Castiel's not in this fic. Not now, not ever. Just so you know.


	23. black feathers

_**A/N:**_ Yep, I'm back. If you have good health and a stable home life you better cherish it. That's all I'm saying.

_**Warning:**_ This chapter contains descriptions of animal abuse.

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><p><em><strong>Part 23 - black feathers<strong>_

"C'mere, cat." The Gabrielpigeon reached over and tried to grab me. I put my claws out and batted at him. He jerked back.

"Ouch. Oh. Ou-chhh." He looked at the four bloody slash marks on his hand, and then he laughed as the damage I did disappeared. "Feisty little thing, aren't ya?"

_Little? Little? _I flattened my ears and my whiskers and hissed at him. I backed up until I crouched on Dean's stomach.

I yowled at the top of my lungs. _Wake up! You have to wake up-_

The big man didn't.

The pigeon reached out for me again. "Yell all you want to, little missy. They won't wake up unless I let 'em."

Dean moved. He raised his arm in front of me. The fingers of his hand were spread out, towards the pigeon. I looked at Dean. His eyes were open, but they looked too shiny, like he was seeing but not seeing.

"….you….son….of ….a….bitch….leav '…er.…alone.…"

My boy sounded angry.

I liked that.

"Nice one." The pigeon cocked his head to one side. "You'll give Mikey a run for his money yet. You shouldn't be able to do that, Winchester."

I darted out from behind Dean's arm and batted at the pigeon again. His skin ripped and his blood made my claws tingle. It wasn't a good feeling.

He tried to grab me again. I crouched down and I hissed and yowled some more. I was trying to make him leave. Nothing I did worked.

The Gabrielpigeon's thin face scrunched up. He didn't like any of this. Not. One. Bit.

He reached out again, but he didn't try to grab me.

He grabbed Dean instead, by the wrist.

He squeezed, and I heard a sound like dry twigs breaking. Dean groaned. The skin around his wrist turned a funny greenish color. I saw white bone sticking out of his arm.

The pigeon looked at me, frowning. "I'm done playing with you, little girl. Now you get over here or I'll rip his arm off."

I didn't have a choice. I slid off Dean's stomach and crouched on the bed.

The Gabrielpigeon spread his arms wide. "C'mere, sweetie."

I laid my ears back and glared at him.

"Okay, then." He tightened his grip on Dean's broken arm again. I got up and climbed into the pigeon's lap.

"Good girl."

Bastard. I watched him heal Dean's arm. I didn't like it. Dean groaned out loud as his bones and his skin knitted back together. Being healed hurt. The pigeon laughed and let go of Dean's arm.

When he touched me I bit his hand. The taste of him made my teeth ache. _Bast, that was awful!_ I gagged and let him go.

"Okay. You got me again. You finished now?'

I crouched there panting, with my tongue sticking out. I couldn't catch my breath.

"There." He pushed me down on his lap. "That's better." The pigeon stopped bleeding and the clawmarks disappeared again.

Then the Gabrielpigeon put two fingers between my eyes. "It's showtime, kitty."

My head filled up with heat and bright white light, and then the world went away.

* * *

><p>I blinked, and the first thing I saw was Dean and the big man.<p>

They stood there side by side, staring at me. Dean had his gun out, but he held it low, with both hands, in front of him. He had his green jacket on and his duffel on his back. The Dad wore black. He had his shotgun in his hand.

I hated this. I was inside my head. I was back in that damn house. I looked up at my people and I _eowwed_ at them. Tried to tell them to run, to leave, but that wouldn't do any good, and I knew it. This had already happened. The Gabrielpigeon wanted to see it for himself.

I talked, loud and long. Dean and his Dad didn't understand me, but they didn't ignore me like other humans would have.

Bad things happened again, just like they did before.

Something was in the air behind the big man. It was dark, but I could still see through it.

It grabbed him. He went flying backwards, out the door, back into the hallway. He held onto his shotgun, but he lost his duffel bag. The door slammed shut and the doorknob thing on this side fell off.

Dean turned, and as he did something hit him too. He went flying into the far wall. Pictures flew into the air, and when he hit the ground his eyes were closed and I knew he wasn't going to get back up.

He didn't before.

I ran towards him, even though I knew I wasn't going to make it.

Black smoke came out of the walls around us. What felt like fingers dug into my neck from behind, and the smell of burned matches in the air took my breath away. I couldn't move. I twisted my head around, tried to bite them, but there was no flesh to bite into, only smoke.

The smoke wrapped itself around all four of my legs and twisted them in opposite directions. Hard. I heard a sound like twigs breaking, but it wasn't twigs. It was my legs.

I'd never felt anything like that before. I screamed out. I was hurt, mad and scared at the same time. The bad things screamed in my ears. They were laughing at us.

The others were in the air around Dean. They turned him over. Blood on his face, near his mouth and eyes. He was pale, and he didn't move.

The smoke curled around his body and lifted him up into the air. He hug like that with his head thrown back and his arms and legs hanging down. They slid over his skin, into his ears, eyes and mouth.

Dean twitched a little, but I knew it wasn't him. Not really.

His Dad pounded on the door. He couldn't get it open, but he didn't stop trying. The shotgun went off twice. The noise hurt my ears, but I was so broken I didn't even jerk back. The door stayed closed.

I couldn't feel anything, but I tried to move. My legs wouldn't work. I was hot at first, and then I started shaking like I was cold.

Something else came through the window.

Bright light hurt my eyes. I remember that. The bad things screamed, but they sounded afraid now. That was when I knew that whatever this new thing was, it was probably worse. It made a noise like thunder, and the light got so bright I closed my eyes to slits. I didn't close them all the way, though.

The light came through the window, and it settled around Dean. I couldn't see him at first, but I heard the smoke scream. They rose up into the air, and the light grew brighter. The smoke turned pale grey, then white, and then they died.

That part didn't bother me.

The light became so bright it hurt my eyes, so I closed them. When I opened them again Dean was still on the floor. The blood on his face was gone, but his eyes were still closed and he didn't move.

The door flew open. Dean's Dad rushed through. When he saw us he stopped.

"Dean?" He stared at his son, and then he looked at me. His face turned white. "Oh, Jesus…."

Dean sat up.

Only…it _wasn't_ Dean. Same skin same body, different scent. He looked at me and his eyes were bright golden fire. The air behind him filled with shadow wings. Feathers.

"Dean?" the big man whispered. He lowered his shotgun. The first time I saw him do that, I knew he wouldn't shoot, no matter what.

The pigeon inside Dean's skin chuckled, amused. He turned and winked at Dean's Dad.

"Go to sleep now, Papa," he rumbled, and the big man groaned wearily. His eyes rolled shut, and his legs gave out. He fell to the floor and he didn't move.

I tried to get up, but I couldn't feel my legs anymore. Dean's shadow fell over me. Fingers dug into my neck and lifted me up until we were face to face.

I hissed, and the Michaelpigeon smiled at me.

"I've never understood why humans allow your kind to live with them in the first place," the pigeon said. He cocked his head to one side as he stared me up and down, as though he'd never been this close to a cat before. Maybe he never had. Despite the pain that washed over me I stared right back, and that seemed to amuse him.

"The boy is mine. Don't you realize that? He's _always_ been mine. It's his destiny."

I snarled at the pigeon again, and he frowned at me. "Foul little beast. He seems fond of you, so I'll put everything back the way it was before. Including _you_."

The Michaelpigeon nodded at the big man as he lay on the floor. "They won't remember. Neither of them will. I'll make sure of that. But _you'll_ remember, little one. You'll remember that he's mine. You won't be able to warn him or his father, but you'll carry that knowledge inside you for the rest of your days. That's my gift to you. Enjoy it."

He put two fingers between my eyes, and I screamed again.

Being healed hurt just as much as being broken ever did.

* * *

><p>I came back to myself slowly. I couldn't see anything at first. I blinked. I saw a human face, but it was too thin and too ugly to be Dean's, and it wasn't dark and hairy like his Dad. I blinked again, and then I remembered.<p>

I was in the Gabrielpigeon's lap. He put his hands around me, stood me up on my hind legs, put one hand around my neck and tilted my chin up with his thumb until we were eye to eye. My body ached, especially my legs, as though seeing the memory of what happened in that damned house made the pain come back again.

"Now that wasn't so hard, was it?" The pigeon grinned at me. "I just wanted you to tell me what happened. No need for you to be so dramatic."

I growled at him, low and deep. He didn't like that. Something hard glittered in his eyes. I'd seen the same look on the faces of normal humans, just before they tried to hit or kick me.

His hand tightened around my neck. His thin lips twitched, and so did his eyebrows.

He was going to hurt me.

"I healed your boy. What more do you want, huh?"

Damn pigeons. I growled again, louder, and then my ears pricked up.

We weren't alone in the room. I felt the presence. It was bright and familiar. Powerful and angry.

I couldn't help but look at the pigeon and grin. He was too dim-witted to sense it. And cats do grin sometimes, you know. When we have good reason to.

"Leave her be," a voice rumbled. The pigeon's eyes widened in surprise. He looked over at Dean and his Dad, but my humans were still asleep.

The Gabrielpigeon's head suddenly jerked backwards. Five bloody new stripes marked the skin of the left side of his face. He made a squawking sound like a startled chicken and let go of me, but I didn't fall.

I was caught instead, and cradled in strong, slim arms. Lifted up and held instead, gently, tenderly.

She was tall, slim and regal. Beautiful. Her fur was golden brown, with black stripes, and her long slender tail curved gracefully in the air behind her. I looked up into a face much like my own: pinkish tan nose leather, tall ears, pure white whiskers, greenish gold eyes like mirrors. She held me so snugly I felt her heartbeat against my side. I was a kitten again, safe and secure, and all the aches and pains I felt, past and present, melted away.

We slow-blinked at each other. I couldn't help it; I purred louder.

Bast smiled warmly in return. "Hello, daughter."

* * *

><p>TBC next week.<p>

**_A/N:_ **I have been asked if and when Cujo will ever meet Sam. Well, wait no longer. I've posted a two chapter oneshot called "When Cujo Meets Sam."


	24. the lovely bones

**_A/N: _**Chapter title is taken from the book and the movie of the same name. No one is murdered in this chapter. I just like the title and I think it fits perfectly.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Part 24 - the lovely bones<em>**

I spread the toes on my front paws wide and gently kneaded on the top of Bast's arm. No claws. I couldn't help it, but I kept my dignity. I didn't drool. Bast is the mother of all things feline. I don't care what Sekmet and her followers say.

"Rough trade. I love it." The Gabrielpigeon's grin was bright and bloody. "How the hell are ya, Bast? Long time no see. You look good."

That was the wrong thing to say.

Bast cradled me to her chest with her right arm. She reached out with her left and snagged her claws in the pigeon's collar. She yanked him up on his feet and when she let go he went flying into the far wall, right next to the door. He hit the wall headfirst and bounced off quite nicely. He didn't leave a dent. The sound was very loud. I turned and looked at Dean and his Dad. Their faces seemed more peaceful now, and they didn't wake up. I knew they wouldn't, not unless Bast allowed it. I also knew that no one on the outside would hear anything too.

The pigeon slid down the wall in a tangle of shadow wings, arms and legs. Then he turned over and pushed himself up on his rump. His head wobbled as he grinned again. "Good and feisty. I always did like feisty."

"If you come near my daughter and her people again," Bast purred, "I'll kill you."

"Oh noooo!" Bird boy's eyes widened. He was trying to be funny, but I could smell the faint scent of fear on him, though he tried his best to hide it. "Is that a threat?"

Bast's smile was full of teeth, sharp and bright. "Consider it a promise. I'll make you linger. And before you finally die I will make you suffer in ways you cannot possibly imagine."

"A promise? _Really? _Don't play with my emotions like that, Bast. My heart can't stand the strain."

Her eyes flashed golden as she growled at him.

He put up both hands and waved them weakly at her. "Okay, okay. I don't do death. Otherwise I'd take you up on your kind offer." He sighed as he stared at her. "We used to have some wild times together, kitty cat. Remember?"

"That was _then_. This is _now_."

"I can't wait to see how you handle my big brother when he shows up. Your girl's boy belongs to him, now and forever. He's Michael's Sword, and big bro' never did like to share." He nodded at Dean, and I hissed at the pigeon, loud and long. "Mikey's not nearly as nice as I am."

Bast arched an eyebrow as she considered the curve of the claws on her left hand. They were wickedly sharp. "Would you like a preview of what I will do to you and your brother?"

"Nope. I'll pass. Bye." The pigeon faded out, still grinning.

"Bastard." Bast sniffed disdainfully. She grew quiet, and I had the feeling that I would not like what was coming next, even when she moved slowly towards Dean's bed. Her long tail waved lanquidly in the air behind her. We sat down next to Dean. I curled up on her lap. She looked down at him, and it suddenly occurred to me that my Mother was the kind of being that Dean and his dad used to hunt, at least, they did before I came along.

I didn't know how to feel about that, so I didn't think about that anymore.

When she reached out to card his hair with her fingers Dean stirred in his sleep. He opened his eyes and stared at us, seeing but not seeing. The corners of his mouth turned up slightly in a small smile, and then his eyes closed slowly and he settled back down.

Bast smiled. Her eyes brightened in return. "He's very handsome for a human male," she murmured. "I can see why you choose him, little one. He'd make a very handsome leopard. He hides his softness from the world, but he reveals it to you and everyone he loves."

There was more. I knew there would be.

She sighed as she drew her hand back. "Everyone who loves him, leaves him, sooner or later. It's his lot in life. You'll be no different, I'm afraid."

I didn't say anything. I stopped purring. This was serious.

"You've chosen a very dangerous companion and an equally dangerous path, daughter. It suits you. You have never asked me for anything in your entire life, even during the hard times you spent on the streets. I can offer you shelter from the coming storm. Will you accept my offer?"

I sat up straight and stared unblinking at Bast. "Thank you, no."

She nodded. "Just as I thought." She stared at Dean, and then her wide golden eyes glided over to the big man. "I cannot argue with your choice. Nor do I disapprove of it. That is not our way."

I held my breath.

Bast looked down at me and smiled fondly. "But I can help you. And your human. Just a little."

She picked me up and very gently put me on the bed beside Dean.

Bast raised her right hand and spread her fingers wide. She pressed her palm right in the middle of Dean's chest. I saw a faint golden glow spread from her hand over his skin, like gently running water. He squirmed a little, but there was no blood, no scratches. I trusted my Mother. I knew she wouldn't hurt him.

Her eyes went to slits as she stared at Dean. She murmured words I could not understand, short words that sounded foreign to me.

He glowed. I crouched there, wide eyed, staring.

I could see through Dean's skin. I watched his heart beat, slow and steady. His lungs looked like balloons as they took in air and let it out. I saw his blood racing through his veins.

And I saw his bones. They looked like a cage around his lungs and heart.

Bast chanted, and symbols appeared on Dean's bones. I can't describe the symbols. They didn't look like any human writing I'd ever seen before.

My Mother chanted and I watched. I don't know how long it took. Finally she removed her hand and the glow faded away. All I could see was Dean's lean tan skin dusted with freckles.

"There," Bast murmured. "Michael cannot claim what he cannot find."

I cocked my head to one side. The look I gave her was question enough.

She answered me. "Enochian sigils. I've marked his ribs with them. They'll hide your human from Michael and the others. Now and forever."

I must have looked puzzled, for Bast laughed, a low, musical sound. "Let us just say that when I was around those pigeons, I kept my eyes open and my mouth shut."

She didn't say any more than that, and I knew better to ask. Whatever happened in her past was none of my business, anyway.

I yawned just then, and I felt ashamed. I was so tired. My legs felt so heavy I couldn't move them. That was too much like a small kitten, not a full grown cat, but Bast didn't take offense. She picked me up and placed me against Dean's side.

"You've been through a lot tonight, daughter. I've done what I can for you." She leaned down and kissed the top of my head. I closed my eyes.

"Live your life, my brave one. Live."

I slept. And I dreamed good things.

* * *

><p>I woke up first, as is my custom in the morning, but I didn't bother inspecting the corners of the room. That could wait. I ran up Dean's flat belly and broad chest and butted my head against his cheek. I eoowed and grunted at him until those wide green eyes of his flew open.<p>

"Huh? Wh-wwhat?"

Then I jumped down and ran over to the big man's bed. I woke him up too. He rumbled at me like a big angry dog. He didn't bite but he blinked at me. "What's got her riled up?"

Dean sat up with both knees bent. He ran his hands over his head and neck. "I dunno." He still sounded sleepy. I ran back and jumped on his belly so hard he made a sound. "Ooof!"

He knuckled me underneath my chin, slow, just the way I liked it. I purred and rubbed against him. I grunted and eoowed. I knew he couldn't understand me, but I talked anyway.

_...never leave... _

Dean frowned at me, and I didn't want to see that look on his face. "Cujo? What's the matter?"

All I could think of was what Bast said: "Everyone who loves him, leaves him, sooner or later. It's his lot in life. You'll be no different, I'm afraid."

_Not me, _I eoowed.

_Not me. _If I said it out loud it would come true.

_I'll never leave. Never._

* * *

><p>Next: Cujo meets Pastor Jim and Bobby.<p> 


	25. the good blue earth

__**A/N:**__ Cujo does meet Bobby, but not in this chapter. Coming soon. I blame my muse for jumping the gun.

* * *

><p><em><em><strong>Part 25 - the good blue earth<strong>__

The trip was long and boring. We stopped a few times, but there was nothing to hunt, not even dead things that moved, so I slept most of the time.

It was getting dark when the big black car finally stopped growling. I didn't even poke my head out of the bag. The car doors creaked and when Dean picked my duffel up I still didn't move. I felt lazy. I was content to stay curled up with my eyes half closed. Blue Earth was probably just another motel I'd have to sneak into. Seen that, been there already. I just couldn't understand why my humans were so excited about the place.

We went up some stairs, there was a knock, then the sound of another door opening. That creak was softer.

"John! Dean!" I heard this man's voice say. "Good to see you! I'm so glad you could come for the blessing."

Someone hugged Dean. Fingers brushed up against my duffel.

Well, now. _This_ was different. _That_ never happened before.

I yawned and then stretched. Whoever this was jerked back when they felt the bag move.

I scared them.

Good.

"I don't understand," the man said. "I thought you said you were bringing-"

I poked my head and neck out, put my paws on Dean's shoulders and looked around.

We were inside a house!

It didn't smell like any of the other places we'd stayed in lately. This place smelled better. It didn't have that funny strong smell that made my nose twitch and my eyes water. I heard Dean call that "eau du skeezy motel" more than once.

I saw curtains at the windows, pictures on the wall.

So _this_ was Blue Earth?

The man had light colored hair on his head and his chin. He looked like a big black bird with a white spot on his throat. I've seen humans like that before. They live in church places. Usually the food's pretty good, and there's no hitting or screaming, except for that awful noise you humans make sometimes. I think you call that singing. The humans who live in the church places mention someone called god. He made those stupid pigeons. Another name I heard in those places a lot is jesus. They call out his name a lot but as far as I can tell he never showed up.

The jesus man looked at me and his jaw dropped open.

"Padre, this is Cujo," Dean said proudly. "Cujie, this is Pastor Jim Murphy."

I _eoowed_ at him. _Pleased to meet'cha._

I had the feeling this was a special occasion, and Dean and his Dad wanted me to act my best, so I did.

This Pastor Jim blinked as he looked at me. "Uh…Cujo?"

Dean and his dad smirked.

The Pastor Jim's eyes got wide as I pulled myself out of the duffel and balanced on Dean's shoulder. I turned, flipped my finger crook of a tail at him, and then I looked around at him. I was showing off. It felt good.

"Have you…have you hunted with her?"

The big man nodded. "Revenants in the woods the first time. She took one down all by herself. Next job, demons. We cleared them out. Cujo knew they were there before we did."

I'd given up trying to tell them about the pigeons and the protection Bast gave Dean. It was all right. I hadn't seen a pigeon since, and if my Mother had anything to say about it, I never would again.

Dean skritched me underneath my chin. "She picks up things quicker than an EMF Reader. She's faster and more accurate."

Usually I don't like it when humans I don't know stare at me hard like the jesus man did, so I ignored him. I rubbed my head against Dean's hand instead.

"Cats do have one paw in Heaven, and the other in Hell. Or so they say." The Murphy Man nodded as if he'd figured me out.

_As if. _

The big man raised his eyebrow at him. "Been watching too many movies, Jim."

The jesus man shrugged. "Well. Sometimes they get it right."

I walked halfway down Dean's back and jumped to the floor. I acted as though I wasn't the least bit interested in what they were saying. I sat down, gave my right paw a couple of licks and cleaned my face.

"How 'bout it, girl?" Dean asked me. He nodded towards the Murphy man. "The padre's good people. You gonna behave yourself?"

I stopped cleaning myself, held my paw in mid-air. The innocent look I gave Dean made him shake his head. _Me? Behave? I always do._

The jesus man knelt down. I ignored him. He didn't stick his fingers in my face. He leaned forward, lowered his arm until it was below my chest and then offered me his hand, his fingers slightly curled up.

It was an invitation. He _wanted_ me to sniff him, so I stopped washing my face and I did. I was ready to jump back if he got grabby with me, but he didn't. He smelled like that holy water Dean's Dad is so fond of slinging around. I stopped sniffing and stepped back. He seemed nice enough, but I don't take to every human I meet. I needed time to think about this, so I got up and walked away. I sat down between Dean and his Dad. I was with my humans again. I felt better.

The jesus man stood up. "So who named her?"

Dean nodded. "I did."

"Why Cujo?"

My kid shrugged. "It just fits her, is all."

"When I heard the name, I thought you had a German Shepherd, or a Rottweiler. Or even a tame wolf." He looked down at me and smiled. "She's beautiful. 'Pearl' would have been a good name too."

Pearl? Huh. I don't think so.

* * *

><p>I had chicken for dinner that night. It wasn't my usual, from a can. It was roasted chicken, cut up into shreds. My humans sat at the kitchen table. The jesus man gave it to me in a bowl, on a mat in his kitchen.<p>

I was still on my best behavior. When he put the bowl down he moved away so I could eat.

He had really good manners. For a human. Some other cat must have trained him.

Dean and his Dad had roasted chicken too, by the smell of it. Afterwards Dean washed the dishes and all three of them talked for hours.

While they did that I explored the house.

The place felt just a little sad. Like Dean does sometimes. His Dad feels that way when he looks at Dean. There was a kindness there, and that was like my humans too, and I knew that all came from the Murphy man in this house.

I smelled another cat in the hallway. The scent was very very faint. It was old. He was a kitten. That got me even more curious. I wanted to see if he was still around.

Our bags were by the door. They'd even set up my clean litter box in this little room with the water down the hall.

Oh, there were so many soft things around! Cushions and pillows and rugs! And window sills big enough for me to lay down on!

I jumped up on tables and chairs, and then I jumped back down. It had been a while since I'd been in a house. A real house. I'd almost forgotten what it was like. So many rooms to look in, so many things to see!

I found stairs. They were long and went straight down, and there was a closed door at the end. I don't like those. Closed doors, I mean. Never have. I sniffed around the bottom of the door. I smelled the same kind of oil that Dean used to clean those knives of his. Gun powder. Holy water.

I heard squeaks behind the door.

Mice.

They knew I was out there. They ran and hid.

I couldn't get in because the door was closed. I could have meowed loud enough for one of the humans to let me in, but there was so much else I wanted to see, so I ran back up the stairs, up to the first floor, and then I saw some more stairs. I ran all the way to the top. The doors were open up there. I went into each room. I looked in all the corners. There were beds and other stuff.

More windows, more doors!

I really hoped we were going to stay for a while. I hadn't even gone outside yet.

By the time I came back down my humans and the jesus man were in the living room. Dean looked at me and rolled his eyes. " 'bout time you came back, girl."

It's true I didn't see that other cat, and his scent was very old, but I wanted to make sure I put my claim in. I arched my back and rubbed my chin up against the Murphy man's legs.

_Well, I guess you're okay. _

His eyes got wide. "Oh, my…" He reached down and very gently stroked my back. His hand was in reach so I rubbed my chin on his fingers too.

_Mine. You're mine too. All mine._

The big man laughed. "I guess you passed muster, Padre."

"I guess I did."

I hopped up on Dean's lap. He was on the couch. He always makes a nice pillow. I yawned and stretched, then I turned over on my back with my belly up and closed my eyes.

Time for a nap.

Dean rubbed his finger along the side of my neck, under my chin, real slow, back and forth. That felt so good my right hind leg started twitching…back and forth…back and forth….

I was half asleep when I heard the other two get up. They were quieter than humans usually are.

"Dean, there's beds upstairs," the Murphy man said softly.

"That's okay. I'm good here." Dean moved his legs really slow as he slipped out of his boots. He was careful not to make me fall off.

Dean's Dad talked quiet too. "You sure, son?"

"Yeah." Dean stretched out slowly until he was lying on his back with his feet up. "I don't wanna wake her."

The last thing I remember was feeling Dean breathe, slow and steady. When I woke up in the morning the big man and the jesus man were asleep in other rooms and Dean was still with me on the couch.

* * *

><p>The next morning I sat at the door and loudly asked to be let out, so the Murphy man came and opened the door.<p>

Dean and his dad sat at the kitchen table. Dean's dad laughed. "She's got you trained already."

_Well, yeah. I've got you trained too._

There was water in the back of the house. It wasn't one of those cement ponds, either, this had tall grass and trees, and I chased big fat green frogs, I chased bugs that flew and bugs that hopped. There were fish in the pond, too, big ones, little ones, and they scattered when I sat down at the edge and stared at them. I could've caught one and brought it back to the house, for Dean, but I knew he wouldn't eat it.

On the way back to the house I felt a rumble in the ground underneath my paws. When I got to the front porch I saw cars and trucks coming down the road. More people were coming. I didn't like that, but I saw Dean, the Murphy man and Dean's dad standing on the porch. That was good. I wanted to get to my people.

I was a few feet away from the bottom steps when a huge black dog ran up to me. It was a male, and he whimpered like a puppy. His coat looked funny. He was shaved in some places. That little ball at the end of his tail looked like one of my felt toys. I dropped my claws but then I realized I wouldn't have to use them.

"Hey! Heyyyyy waaaaaiiit!"

The dog looked over his shoulder, yelped and ran past me into the field behind the house.

A pale skinny man in a green fatigue coat ran after him. "Come back, Pickles!"

Dean leaned against the porch railing. "Pickles? What the hell?"

"Garth. Hunting with a French poodle." Dean's Dad rumbled. "Why is he still alive?"

"God looks after children and fools," The jesus man said.

"I guess so." Dean sounded like he really didn't believe that.

I ran up onto the porch and jumped up on the railing next to my boy.

More cars and trucks. More people. And all kinds of dogs, some big, some small, and all yappy. One large truck drove up and parked. There were horses in the back.

That was different. I've been around horses before. They're big snorty things.

I sat and I watched. I was nervous. I didn't like being around this many people. And so many damn dogs. I talked about it out loud. That's what comes from having Siamese in the family tree somewhere.

_That big brown dog looks like the one that chased me that time. And I don't like that white dog, either. _

Dean rubbed me behind my ears, and that made me feel better. "It's okay, Cujie," he told me. "It's all right."

That big black Pickles dog came running out from behind the house. The Garth was right behind him. He was pretty fast, for a human, but Pickles got to the road first and never looked back. He might have been a dumb dog but he was smart enough to keep right on running.

The Garth finally stopped running and watched him go. His face got red. His bottom lip trembled and he looked like he was going to cry.

My humans felt embarrassed.

Some of the people came on horses, not cars or trucks. This woman rode this big spotted brown and white horse right up to the house. She had brown skin and long black hair that looked like ropes. I didn't like the way she smiled at Dean. Reminded me of the way that female doctor smiled at Dean when I was in that bad place, that clinic before.

Dean smiled back. He showed her all his teeth, but not in snarly way. He was acting goofy. I really didn't like that either.

"Hey, Niobe."

"Hey, Dean." She made the horse stop a few feet away. That was close enough. The horse danced and snorted in place. I rubbed my head against Dean's arm and glared at her. _He's mine. _

"Hello, Mr. Winchester. Pastor Murphy." She sounded like she was purring, and they grinned back at her all silly like Dean did.

"Hello, Niobe." Dean's Dad and the jesus man said it at the same time. I guess that was her name. They sounded goofy too.

She looked at me and her face changed. She stared hard at me and I stared hard right back. I walked on the railing and sat down right in front of Dean.

_MINE. _

She didn't smile. She nodded at me, as if she knew exactly what I was doing. "I know a fellow huntress when I see one," the Niobe girl said at last. "Welcome, little sister."

The way she said "little" didn't make me mad. I don't know why. That didn't make me like her any better, but at least she didn't say something stupid like "Oh what a cute widdle cat."

When she looked at Dean that little smile of hers came back. I looked up at Dean and he still looked goofy at her.

I didn't like that, so I batted at his hand with my paw. He looked down at me and scowled. I scowled right back at him.

"We're going to go set up by the lake," Niobe said. "Don't be a stranger." She didn't wait for him to answer. She nudged that horse of hers with her heels, turned around and walked back to where the others were. I was glad to see her go.

More people came. I saw a few more trucks with horses, but there were mostly dogs, and I never saw another cat out there.

Not one.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Next:<strong>_ Before the blessing of the hunters (human and animal) at Blue Earth, Cujo meets up with Gordon Walker and his new pooch. Garth tries to upgrade, and Cujo observes intense social interaction between Dean and Niobe. Yeah, that's exactly what you think it is: sex. Avert your eyes, little kitty.


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